Physical activity and leisure time in 12 to 18 years old adolescents: Systematic Review

Abstract

Physical activity is essential for people because it contributes to their physical, mental and social development, promotes a healthy lifestyle, reduces stress and improves emotional well-being; it also enhances social skills, discipline, teamwork, among others. In this sense, adolescents can take advantage of their free time to practice or participate in a number of activities that will help them acquire healthy habits and, of course, keep them active throughout their lives. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the theoretical assumptions on the contributions provided by physical activity and leisure time in adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. The methodology used was a systematic review applying the PRISMA protocol, from the critical analysis of different bibliographic sources published mainly during the years 2019 - 2023, articles in Spanish and English language were selected from databases such as: Latindex, Redalyc, Dialnet and Scielo, employing the search engines: Google Scholar and Jurn. Consequently, the expected results were that if adolescents use their free time in an ideal way it allows them to distance themselves from activities that are harmful to their health, increase their creativity, reduce stress, share pleasant moments with their families and above all practice various sports disciplines.