Though most are aware of the physical health benefits that come with playing sports, not many are aware of the mental health benefits that sports bring as well. They can make you happier in the long run and decrease your stress levels while calming your mind.

About 75% to 90% of doctor visits are due to stress-related illnesses, so participating in sports will help you manage your stress and decrease the likelihood of you getting sick because of it. Exercise releases endorphins into your brain while reducing stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, so doing about 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day will ultimately help you feel calmer for several hours.

Research shows that participating in sports can also have long-term effects on a person’s mental health. One study of 9,688 children who had a bad childhood (like abuse and emotional neglect) showed that those who participated in sports had better mental well-being by the time they grew into adults than those who did not.

Team sports can have a much larger, positive impact on mental health than individual sports do. Those who participated in team sports had better mental health than those who simply went walking or worked out at the gym. The physical health remained the same, but mental health was affected much more when working in groups.

Teenagers who participated in individual sports were more likely to experience anxiety or depression than those who don’t, potentially because team sports are more often played for fun. Individual sports, meanwhile, could potentially lead to more stress than enjoyment.

Additionally, playing sports can help fight things like addiction and depression while improving on serious mental disorders. Teenagers who played in team sports were less likely to smoke as adults, and Korean researchers recommend the use of sports to help teenagers fight internet addiction.

Meanwhile, sports can help treat depression due to the exercise that comes with it. Exercise is an effective antidepressant, and modest amounts of it can improve depression.

Likewise, sports can improve the symptoms of serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. While sports can improve loss of motivation and thinking difficulties, they are less effective with symptoms like hallucinations.