by Dr. Michael Oberschneider of Ashburn Psychological and Psychiatric Services

Playing soccer is fun, but for kids who play it year-round, the Winter months can be challenging.  Even for kids who truly love the game, playing soccer on a cold winter day or evening may not be desirable; sometimes simply getting kids geared up, out of the car and onto the field can become an arduous task fraught with a lot of resistance.  However, research has shown that playing soccer or other outdoor sports during the Winter months is actually beneficial.  And here are a few points to share with your son or daughter the next time they complain about it being too cold outside to go to exercise.

Playing a sport under the sun can combat low mood or depression.  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as “The Winter Blues” or “Winter Depression,” is a type of depression that affects over 10 million Americans each year; and, research has shown that about 2% to 6% of children and teens may struggle from the condition each Winter.  SAD symptoms include: weight gain, oversleeping, having an increased craving for carbohydrates, irritability, having an increased sensitivity for rejection, sadness, anxiety, fatigue/low energy, having an overall sense of heaviness in the arms and legs, oversleeping and lethargy.  There are a few different believed causes for SAD, with a lack of sunlight being the main one.  With so many people having low levels of Vitamin D, and with shorter days during the Winter months, getting our kids outside to be active under the sun is a good thing.

And keep in mind that even playing a sport in the evening outside is a good for you in that exercise releases several hormones/neurotransmitters – e.g., norepinephrine, epinephrine and adrenaline – that contribute to improving one’s mood.

Physical activity is great for maintaining healthy weight during the winter months.  With the colder weather, even the most active and athletic children are more sedentary, which can lead to weight gain.  Research has shown that, on average, people gain 1 to 3 pounds over the holidays.  So, whether your child is kicking a soccer ball or engaging in other athletics this Winter, getting him or her out there and active will help with fitness.

Playing soccer means less time in front of a screen.  If your son or daughter are outside playing soccer (or another sport) what are they not doing? — Over relying on or over engaging in technology.  Balancing our children’s screen time can be particularly difficult during the Winter months where the days are shorter, the weather is less appealing and there is so much more down time.  So, keeping our children active and busy to promote balance with sports and in other ways (e.g., chores, social activities, family time) will help with screen to technology time overuse.                 

There’s always futsal.  For the kid who refuses to play soccer outside during the Winter months but would still love to play, there’s always futsal.  Futsal is typically played indoors and it’s a modified game of soccer that involves five players on five players.  Not only is futsal great exercise, playing it can serve to keep your son or daughter’s head in the game during the Winter months.  And, futsal is believed to improve game play in many ways —  it helps with ball skills and control, one touch, speed of play, creativity, adaptability and overall athletic intelligence.

Here’s to getting our kids outside this Winter for some soccer and for some active fun!