by Walter Wehus
“We know that taking part in sports is good for children. It strengthens the body, mind and social skills. But there has been little research into how often children should exercise", says researcher Erik Grasaas at the University of Agder.
He has analysed responses from 47,000 children aged 10–12 who took part in the Ungdata Junior survey. And the figures are clear:
“There is an association between exercising one to three times a week and being more satisfied with life. This applies to both boys and girls,” says Grasaas.
Moderate participation provides the greatest benefits
Most of the children took part regularly in organised sports. Two or three evenings a week was the most common pattern. Around 10 percent of the boys, and slightly fewer girls, trained five evenings a week or more.
At first glance, it appeared that boys became happier the more they trained. Those who did not train at all scored 8 out of 10 for well-being, while those who trained five evenings a week scored 8.6. Among girls, well-being was more stable, regardless of how much they trained.
But when the researchers accounted for other factors that could influence the results, the picture changed.
“When we adjusted for age, geography and socioeconomic status, we found that the association between quality of life and the number of training sessions was strongest among those who trained one to three times a week. This applies to both boys and girls,” says Grasaas.
Training more than that provided no additional benefit. Among girls who trained the most, the figures even showed a slight decline in well-being.
“The conclusion is that moderate participation in organised sports is associated with the highest levels of well-being among both boys and girls,” he says.
Play is important
Does this mean that some children should exercise less than they do today? No, emphasises Grasaas. The most important thing is finding the right balance between organised sports, individual training and free play.
“Many young people are less physically active than recommended. This is not about reducing the opportunities children have to take part in sport,” he says.
He highlights the difference between structured training and free play. When children play in the local neighbourhood, they can take breaks when they need to. They control the intensity themselves, and play should be an important part of physical activity.
“Research shows that children and young people who participate in team sports report very high levels of quality of life. However, this changes somewhat as they get older. During adolescence, boys and girls involved in individual sports report the highest levels of quality of life. That is interesting,” says Grasaas.
This is how the best athletes train
Grasaas refers to research published in the journal Science at the end of 2025. The researchers examined what characterises those who reach the highest levels in their sport.
“Ninety percent of elite athletes at the international level did not specialise in their sport from childhood,” says Grasaas.
For most people, the key to success is a long period of varied physical activity.
“We often hear about those who have devoted themselves entirely to one sport since childhood. Even though 90 percent of success stories look different,” he says.
At the same time, he is cautious about what his own study can tell us. Sport explains only a small part of why children are satisfied with their lives.
“The most important factors for children are good relationships with their parents and well-being at school,” says Grasaas.
The researcher ends with an encouragement:
“We must support and facilitate plenty of movement and unorganised activity every single day for children in this age group, so that we can raise resilient young people and establish good habits early on.”
Reference:
Sport Engagement and Life Satisfaction in Late Childhood: A Population-Based Analysis