Want your kids to be happy? Make them exercise

Children who embrace physical activity aren't just physically fitter - but have a greater chance of good mental health, too.  

Youngsters who regularly exercise are less likely to develop mood disorders as adults, scientists have found.

Researchers assessed 800 young people over four years - from ages 6 to 10 - and noted a considerable link between activity and well-adjustment, according to the Daily Mail. 

If confirmed in other randomised studies, the results could help offset rising rates of depression in adolescents and young adults, which has reached record levels. 

According to charity YoungMinds, the number of young people aged 15-16 with depression nearly doubled between the 1980s and the 2000s, likely costing the NHS millions.

"This is important to know, because it may suggest that physical activity can be used to prevent and treat depression already in childhood," said study author Silje Steinsbekk, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. 

She added that any effective physical exertion must cause children to perspire or be out-of-breath.

The findings published in the Pediatrics Journal come just weeks after Swiss and German researchers assessed 6,500 teenagers to examine the link between depression and physical illnesses.  

Academics at the University of Basel discovered that periods of depression were frequently followed by arthritis and diseases of the digestive system. 

They also found that youngsters suffering from anxiety have a higher chance of being plagued by a host of skin diseases. 

"While children can develop depression for a whole range of reasons, regular exercise and healthy eating are likely to be beneficial for mental health, even at a young age," Dr Marc Bush from YoungMinds said. 

"Childhood is when our mental health is developed and patterns are set for the future – so it’s important that parents and schools encourage children to form good habits for the future."

- Daily Mail