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Get UP and Go! Help Improve Your Teens Mental Health



Add music or walking to the daily routine and you will see a difference

teen exercise

The world has spent much of 2020 stuck indoors avoiding the coronavirus pandemic. While some children may enjoy the time off from going to school and other responsibilities, it may not be the best thing for their mental health.

A study looking at the mental health of children, ages 12 to 16, found that even an hour of light activity each day can lower their risk for depression.

Whether it's just walking or playing an instrument. the study found that every extra hour of daily activity helped to lower depressive symptoms by 7.8 to 11.1 percent, depending on the age of the child.

Psychologist Paul Schwartz stresses the importance of recognizing if your teen is depressed.


Although most fitness campaigns focus on rigorous exercise, Dr. Joseph Hayes says simple changes like standing during class activities can help against depression. “Light activity could be particularly useful because it doesn’t require much effort and it’s easy to fit into the daily routines of most young people,” Hayes explained. “Small changes to our environments could make it easier for all of us to be a little bit less sedentary.”


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