Fitness
Can exercise improve mental health for teens? Interesting new survey
 
																								
												
												
											Going for a jog, a short yoga session, or a 12-minute quick bodyweight workout perks up my mood and puts a pep in my step. The sense of accomplishment and the mood-boosting endorphins are just some of the many benefits of moving your muscles. Does exercise also improve mental health for adolescents? Recently, Planet Fitness decided to find out.
New survey
“Summer slide” refers to the decline in learning that kids experience over the summer months when they’re off school. Planet Fitness pointed out another decline that occurs over the summer — fewer opportunities and less motivation to exercise. Instead of having fun in the sun, playing outdoors, running around, and engaging in sports, parents are voicing concerns that many teens are becoming less active when school is out.
Planet Fitness conducted the survey to learn more about the well-being and exercise habits of young people during these warmer months. The survey involved 1,000 parents of teens aged 14-19 and the teens.
The survey results

The results revealed the following:
- 50% of teens report their fitness levels drop during the summer holidays.
- 90% of teens say exercise helps them to feel happy.
- 93% of adolescents believe regular exercise is beneficial for handling life challenges.
- 66% of parents are concerned about the well-being and stress levels of their teens.
- Three out of five adolescents say their anxiety and stress aren’t getting better; instead, it’s all getting worse over time.
- 72% of parents think regular exercise could improve their teen’s mental health.
- 81% of teens say that screen time and social media take up a lot of time during their day, and most also agree that avoiding social media is helpful.
Concluding thoughts

When school’s out, it seems many teens tend to slow down in more ways than one. They don’t have the same structure, schedule, and activities, and they might be more tired from the busy school year. Additionally, some might not have access to a fitness center or the transportation to get there. Many teens are also busy with other goings on in life, so they aren’t thinking about whether or not they’re getting enough physical activity.
This survey indicates that most teens believe exercise makes them feel happier and they’re aware of many of the benefits. There also seems to be some awareness surrounding the overuse or excessive use of screens, which results in teens being less active while getting dopamine hits scrolling through social media. Stanford Medicine confirms that these social media apps work on the brain’s reward pathway and prompt the release of dopamine, just like heroin, meth, or alcohol. Amplifying these feel-good properties is addictive for teens and adults alike. On top of their addictive nature, when we’re scrolling through these apps, we aren’t moving our bodies and getting the physical and mental benefits of exercise.
Planet Fitness Free High School Summer Pass Program

The good news is that this survey also shows us that exercise could be a useful tool in improving mental health for teens, especially during the summer break. There are plenty of ways for teens to get more active, from playing sports or going hiking and doing activities with their friends and family to walking the dog, doing yard work, swimming, and dancing. Teens ages 14-19 can also check out the High School Summer Pass program at Planet Fitness, where they can work out for free at any PF gym nationwide.
							 						 					
					
						
							
							
							
						
					
						
					
				
 
																	
																															Fitness
Fitness coach shares simple ‘5-second exercise’ every woman should do daily to feel healthier and stronger
 
														Finding time for health and fitness isn’t easy, especially when life moves at full speed. Between long commutes, desk jobs, and constant multitasking, many women struggle with poor posture, stiffness, and low energy. But what if the fix was simpler than you think? Lifestyle and fitness coach Luke Coutinho shares in his September 29 Instagram post a simple 5-second exercise that he believes every woman should know. (Also read: Apollo hospital orthopaedic surgeon with 28+ years of experience explains ‘why your knees hurt while climbing stairs’ )
What are Kegel exercises and why should women do them
Women, try this right now. “Imagine you’re trying to pee, and I tell you to stop midstream. Try that. Which muscles did you clench?” says Luke. “If you did that right now, you just did a Kegel exercise.” He explains that Kegel exercises are one of the most powerful yet underrated practices for women’s health. “They strengthen your pelvic floor, the muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and rectum,” says Luke.
According to Luke, these exercises do far more than most people realise. “By doing Kegels, you strengthen and increase blood flow to your pelvic region,” he explains. “That helps with issues like urine incontinence, nighttime urination, and weak bladder control.”
He adds that Kegels are especially beneficial after childbirth. “Post-delivery, the vaginal walls can weaken if you’ve had a natural birth. Doing Kegels strengthens your vaginal muscles, improving intimacy and sexual satisfaction too.”
They also help prevent pelvic organ prolapse, a common condition where the bladder or uterus shifts downward. “Kegel exercises help support the entire area holding your bladder, uterus, and rectum,” Luke notes.
How do you perform Kegel exercises correctly
“The right way to do Kegels is the same way I asked you earlier, imagine you’re peeing and stop midway,” he explains. “You don’t need to clench too hard. Avoid tightening your abs or thighs, just a gentle squeeze.”

Luke recommends starting small:
- Do 3 sets, twice a day.
- Clench for 5 seconds, relax for 5 seconds.
- Gradually increase to 15 seconds of clenching and 10 seconds of rest as you get stronger.
“You can do these anywhere, on a flight, in a car (if you’re not driving), at home, before bed, or right after waking up,” Luke says. “These little things are incredibly powerful for your reproductive and overall health.”
He reminds viewers, though, that Kegels are not a replacement for medical care. “If you have a prolapse or other issue, please see your doctor,” he advises.
“Remember,” Luke concludes, “Kegel exercises may take just a few seconds, but staying consistent with them can truly transform your pelvic health and long-term wellbeing.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Fitness
Food vs exercise: Which actually helps you lose weight
 
														Why nutrition is more important than exercise
“To simplify it a lot: adjusting your diet reduces body fat, while physical exercise helps preserve muscles during weight loss and supports overall health,” the trainer explains.
Mandziak notes that only about 10% of the calories the body burns come from exercise.
“Three workouts a week burn just 1,000 calories, while the body burns 18,000 calories in a week,” he emphasizes.
How the body burns calories
“Around 85% of all calories burned are expended without deliberate physical activity. The heart, brain, kidneys, and liver burn about 1,000 calories per day. That’s almost half of all calories the body burns, including physical activity,” the fitness trainer says.
According to him, 10% of calories are spent on digestion, 15% on daily activities, and only the remaining 10% on exercise.
Why exercise makes you hungrier
“Scientific data shows that 80% of calories burned are compensated. When I start moving more, my body senses the calorie loss and urges me to eat the calories I burned. Some people even reward themselves with tasty food after an effective workout,” Mandziak explains.
He adds that people often overestimate the calories burned during exercise. Those who are more active consume more calories, but they also burn more, and don’t overeat.
Mandziak notes that physical activity improves sensitivity to the satiety hormone leptin.
“If I’m physically active, my brain senses this hormone well. If I’m inactive, it senses it poorly, which can lead to overeating,” he adds.
Why strength training is important
“When we consume fewer calories than our body needs, it must break down fat to make up for the deficit. The body can also break down muscle,” the trainer explains.
According to him, to prevent this, it’s necessary to signal to the body that muscles are needed and being used. If a certain organ, tissue, or function isn’t used, it deteriorates.
Mandziak emphasizes that strength exercises provide this signal. Additionally, exercise improves the regulation of eating behavior, and strength training helps preserve muscle mass.
Earlier, we revealed how to eat and lose weight in autumn.
Fitness
Ohio State conducts research study about exercise and improving mental health
 
														Training session with a student participant of the Exercise is Medicine™ for Student Resilience research study. Credit: Courtesy of Carmen Swain
The College of Education and Human Ecology is exploring how physical activity can improve students’ mental health.
The college is partnering with Wilce Student Health Center and Student Life Recreational Sport to conduct the study called “Exercise is Medicine™ for Student Resilience” to implement structured exercise into students’ lives.
The study targets those who aren’t active or are stressed to help enhance their mental health and resilience, Carmen Swain, director in health and exercise science and principal investigator of the study, said.
“Our main mission is to try to impact mental health and college students, that’s our goal,” Swain said.
The program is led by trained undergraduate students who work as research assistants or personal trainers. The fitness coaches meet weekly with student participants for nine weeks to do exercise sessions, Swain said.
Participants are required to wear a fitness tracker called a “WHOOP” that measures their health and fitness data throughout the program, Swain said.
“It measures a lot of your biometric data,” Swain said. “So, it measures your heart rate, your sleep and it’s pretty cool.”
The fitness tracker also helps researchers monitor participants’ stress levels to see if they are decreasing throughout the study, Jean-Pierre Khouzam, a second-year master’s student in kinesiology and research lead for the study, said.
“I like to call it a nicer Apple Watch,” Khouzam said. “Never take it off, you charge it on your wrist and it gives you a lot of insights. A lot more insights than just a normal Apple Watch would give you.”
Researchers also conduct pre- and post-testing to measure the changes in the students’ physical fitness and mental health status, Swain said.
Part of the testing is having participants take surveys that score measures like depression and loneliness, Swain said.
“The goal of the program is to see if the physical fitness programming led by these peers impacts their scores on these surveys,” Swain said.
The research is especially relevant now because many Ohio State students are struggling with high levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness, Swain said.
“Mental health is a crisis, especially for college students,” Swain said.
Many studies show that exercise can improve mental health, which is why the research study was developed, Khouzam said.
There are currently seven students participating in the study, and the goal is to have 20 participants by the end of the next semester, Khouzam said.
He hopes the undergraduate leads will gain valuable skills from the experience and see the impact they are making on others, Khouzam said.
“Hopefully they have an impactful experience to where they understand what research is about,” Khouzam said. “And then also they’re helping other people, which is huge in my eyes.”
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