A reluctance to exercise alone may be a major factor in low exercise rates among young Finnish men, according to the results of a study carried out by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) into the physical and mental health of military reservists in Finland.
"Loneliness seems to be a significant reason for young men's lack of exercise," THL specialist researcher Kaija Appelqvist-Schmidlecher wrote in a press release.
Other factors which contributed to a low level of exercise included a lack of interest, a lack of free time, and being unaccustomed to physical activity, the study found.
The report’s findings highlight the importance of leisure time physical activity, particularly for men with low levels of psychological well-being, Appelqvist-Schmidlecher added, as physically fit men more often rated their own quality of life better than their less-fit peers.
However, the report’s results also suggested that the more these men exercised, the better they felt--with a notable connection linking higher levels of physical fitness with good mental health.
Researcher: Make exercising opportunities widely available
The report called on the country's government and public service providers to offer more opportunities for leisure time physical activities, especially ones that involve social interactions for men with diminished mental well-being.
"They would provide an opportunity for social contacts and exercise together," Appelqvist-Schmidlecher said.
The study sample of the newly published research consisted of young adult Finnish men who were called to military refresher training in 2015, and involved 754 military reservists from across Finland.
The study was conducted in a collaborative project between the University of Jyväskylä, Finland’s National Defence University, the Centre for Military Medicine, the UKK Institute and the THL.
Participants underwent fitness tests and completed a questionnaire about their own health and mental well-being.