Exercise is often recommended for better mental health, but the type of activity may also matter. A study published in General Psychiatry examined 79,011 university and college students in Jilin Province, China, all of whom reported taking part in physical exercise. Among the five exercise groups, team ball sports showed the most favourable overall pattern across six mental health outcomes: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury.
Team ball sports such as basketball, football and volleyball stood out most clearly. They were followed by individual anaerobic activities such as sprinting and weightlifting, and then two-player racket sports such as badminton and tennis. Individual aerobic activities showed less favourable patterns in this comparison. However, the differences between groups were generally modest, and the lower ranking of walking, yoga and other low-intensity activities should not be interpreted as evidence that they are harmful.
How often and how long students exercised also appeared to matter. There was no single best routine for every activity or mental health outcome. For several activities, the most favourable patterns for depression and anxiety appeared at around three to four sessions per week. Session durations of around 90–120 minutes also appeared favourable for several activities. When it came to frequency, team ball sports showed a different pattern: more frequent participation was linked to steadily lower odds across all six outcomes.
The social side of team ball sports may help explain why they stood out. Playing with others can provide companionship, support, a sense of belonging and shared goals, alongside the physical benefits of exercise. The authors suggest that this combination of physical activity and social connection may contribute to the more favourable pattern seen for team ball sports, although the study did not directly test this explanation.
Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot show that team ball sports directly improve mental health. Students with better mental health may also be more likely to choose these activities. The study included only students who exercised, so the findings reflect differences between exercise types rather than differences between exercise and no exercise.
Even so, the study offers a simple message: exercise is not one-size-fits-all. The type of activity, its social setting and the amount of exercise may all matter. The findings may help inform more flexible exercise guidance that considers not only how much university students exercise, but also what activities they choose and whether those activities offer opportunities for social connection.
General Psychiatry
Observational study
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