If you want strong academic performance, exercise. If you want to calm your anxiety, move. That's what the latest research says. A study published this April in JAMA Pediatrics found that adolescents who were more physically fit had a lower risk of depression, anxiety, and ADHD symptoms.

There have been several similar studies in the past. However, they were mainly based on surveys. The latest study published in JAMA Pediatrics, on the other hand, analyzed over 1.9 million participants in Taiwan, comparing data from national student fitness tests to national health insurance research databases. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by 800-meter run time, muscular endurance by bent-leg curl-ups, and muscular power by the standing broad jump.  

The results showed that better physical fitness was associated with a lower mental health risk. Furthermore, there was a positive proportional relationship between physical fitness and mental health risk. In female participants, a 30-second faster 800-meter run time was associated with a lower risk of anxiety, depression, and ADHD. In male participants, a 30-second faster run was associated with a lower risk of anxiety and ADHD. Five more curl-ups per minute were associated with a lower risk of anxiety in boys and a lower risk of depression and anxiety in girls. This suggests that exercising to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle power offers potential mental health benefits.

Physical fitness is also important for concentration. A German study published in January of this year found that adolescents with better physical fitness scored higher on tests of attention and concentration. Higher levels of endurance, strength, coordination, and flexibility were positively correlated with attention. The study analyzed 140 teens aged between 15 and 18 and tested both their athletic and attention skills.

So how much exercise should students do? Walking to school is enough. A 2023 Finnish study of more than 34,000 adolescents found that students who walked or biked to school were more likely to perform better academically than those who went to school by car. Students who exercised during recess were also less likely to experience academic burnout. Thirty minutes of moderate to intense exercising a week was associated with a 24 percent lower risk of burnout. Teens who exercised four to six hours a week had a 46 percent lower risk of burnout than those who were less active.

Of course, studies like this don't show exact cause and effect. But every time I see a study like this, I'm glad I walked to school every day in middle school, about a 3 km round trip.

These days, it's so easy to see people struggling with their children's mental health or their own mental health issues on TV. Many of the cases we see on TV are serious enough to require professional counseling. If you're experiencing mild anxiety or depression in your daily life, it's better to take a walk around the house with your family or alone than to sit and watch these scenes, for your mental and physical health.

Jeong Jae-hoon is a food writer and pharmacist. He covers a variety of subjects, including trends in food, wellness and medications. This column was originally published in Korean in Joongang Ilbo on May 9, 2024. – Ed