The link between mental health and physical activity

Being physically active is important for our overall health. In one recent study using NCDS, researchers found that people who had experienced poor mental health in their 20s were less likely to exercise regularly later on in life.

What we asked you

When you were 23, we asked you questions about your mood, energy, anxiety and stress. In your 30s, 40s and 50s, we asked you how often you exercised. We collected comparable information from a group of people born in 1970, who are taking part in a study similar to NCDS.

Researchers from universities in London, Brazil and Chile analysed the information from both groups, to see if there was a link between mental health in early adulthood and future exercise habits.

What they found

The researchers found that people who experienced psychological distress in their 20s, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, were less likely to exercise a lot later in life.

Overall, your group reported exercising more in your 30s than those born in 1970, but the difference between the generations balanced out in later years.

The researchers suggest that poor mental health can create barriers for exercise. For example, symptoms of depression, such as low energy and lack of interest in life, may make people less likely to be physically active.

Why this research matters

Exercise has benefits for people’s physical and mental health, so it’s important to understand why some people may struggle to get involved with physical activity.

The researchers recommend focusing on early detection and treatment of mental health difficulties in adolescence and young adulthood, to help more people go on to live healthy, active lives.

Read the full research paper

Is there an association between psychological distress during early adulthood and later trajectories of physical activity during adulthood? Longitudinal data from two cohort studies by André Oliveira Werneck, Raphael Henrique de Oliveira Araujo, Danilo Rodrigues Silva and Brendon Stubbs was published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health in November 2024.