What does fact checked mean?
At SportsRec, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- American College of Sports Medicine: Mental Health Benefits of Exercise for Adolescents
- American College of Sports Medicine: Mental Health Benefits of Exercise for Adolescents
- ACE Fitness: Exercise to Boost Your Job Performance
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
How Do Playing Sports Affect Us Mentally?

Sports condition both your body and your mind. Apart from the obvious physical prowess required to participate in any sport; you need the mental discipline to maintain your focus. And like any form of exercise, you’ll benefit from the release of neurotransmitters like endorphins that elevate your mood. Participating in sports, especially ones that require complex movements like skating, can also improve your brain function at work or school through the release of BDNF – brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Any way you look at it, sports can positively affect your mental well-being and acuity.
Improve Your Outlook
Sports participation can make you less depressed. A research team led by Michael Babyak, Ph.D., demonstrated that depressed people who participated in structured sporting activities for 4 months were more likely to report minimal or no depressive symptoms than comparative groups who either took medicine for depression or who used both medicine and exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine advocates exercise as a way to alleviate depression in adolescents, citing a 2006 study in the “Journal of Abnormal Psychology” as evidence.
Improve Your Anxiety
If you want to feel less anxious, try participating in sports, according to a December 2005 article in the "American Journal of Psychiatry.” The researchers chemically induced a panic attack in two groups of subjects suffering from an anxiety disorder: one who had just finished exercising for 30-minutes and the other who had rested during this time. After the injection, both groups became more anxious; however, significantly fewer members in the exercising group had a panic attack compared to the at-rest controls.
Improve Your Self-Perception
One of the physical benefits of participating in sports is people tend to lose weight and gain muscle, making themselves look better and improving their self-perception. The Association for Applied Sports Psychology officially lists improved self-perception as a psychological benefit of exercise. Assertions such as these are given further creditability by a 2000 study published in the journal “Pediatric Exercise Science,” using a large sample of 6,923 adolescents. Among both male and female teens, level of exercise was associated with feeling better about their body image.
Improve Your Confidence
If you are feeling less depressed and anxious and viewing yourself more positively, then you would also feel more confident overall. Princeton University Health Services indicates that athletic persons have increased energy, which makes their day-to-day tasks easier. The New York State Department of Health echoes this statement, indicating anyone can tailor a sports routine to their level to improve independence and self-confidence.
References
- American College of Sports Medicine: Mental Health Benefits of Exercise for Adolescents
- Association for Applied Sports Psychology: Psychological Benefits of Exercise
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?
- American Journal of Psychiatry: The Acute Antipanic Activity of Aerobic Exercise
- Pediatric Exercise Science: The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Self-Esteem, and Academic Achivement Among 12-Year-Old Children
- Princeton University Health Services: Exercise and Fitness
- New York State: Department of Health: Fit for Life: Disability and Health
- ACE Fitness: Exercise to Boost Your Job Performance
Writer Bio
Brenda Scottsdale is a licensed psychologist, a six sigma master black belt and a certified aerobics instructor. She has been writing professionally for more than 15 years in scientific journals, including the "Journal of Criminal Justice and Behavior" and various websites.