A sample of 2,800 boys and girls aged 14 to 24, in the weeks preceding the start of the school year and the academic year, were involved in the research conducted by Skuola.net in collaboration with Cisalfa Sport. The analysis “Young people, sport and studies” highlighted how Generation Z seems to have learned the lesson about the importance of combining training and sports practicewhich confirms itself as a fundamental resource to help manage the challenges and daily pressures, arising from school commitments as well as from the comparison with aesthetic and successful models proposed every day by social media.
What emerged? It shows that movement helps both reduce stress and boost psychological well-being: up to 4 in 10 young people say they do sport specifically to feel less stressed, while one in two do it to maintain a healthy, harmonious appearance.
The benefits of sport do not stop at the body, but also extend to the mind. Thus, those who regularly practice physical activity – from competitive (21%) to occasional (21%) to constant but amateur (29%) – demonstrate
They also face school and daily life with more serenity and determination.
In all research indicators, the sample of “athletes” records on average 10% more people who have a positive approach to life, who are more self-confident, who have better relationships with others, who confide more in others. the next and not secondary element, which is higher academic performance.
teacher in class (GettyImages)
Among those who practice sports, there is therefore a more positive attitude towards studies and a greater ability to set long-term goals. It is no coincidence that 83% of athletes have already set personal improvement goals to achieve in the coming months. Which, again, often goes well beyond aesthetics: at the top of the priorities is the desire to improve one's performance in studies (57% of respondents indicated this), in second place is the desire to improve in other activities, such as hobbies (49%) and only in third place is it necessary to focus on the physical aspect (43%).
For many members of Generation Z, sport is much more than just a hobby: it is a path to personal growth. It is no coincidence that 17% of young people see physical activity as a way to learn discipline, sacrifice and consistency: values that then also find applications in studies and in everyday life.
And if we look at the most popular activities, the gym seems to be the preferred refuge of adolescents and young adults, both men and women: more than one in four will engage in weight training, machines and free body exercises. Even the tennis/padel pairing brings both sexes into agreement: on average 6% of the athletes in the sample practice one or both. As well as athletics, which affects around 4% of young athletes in a transversal way.
Among men, football (16%) and basketball (10%) are very popular, while among women, dance (11%) and volleyball (10%) stand out. Excellent return also for disciplines often considered minor, such as martial arts, artistic gymnastics, water polo, horse riding.
It is therefore not surprising that in the GenZ wardrobe, the most appreciated pieces of all are two sports-related items, such as sweatshirts (22%) and t-shirts (16%), as well as the essential and very comfortable jeans (20%). Perhaps one of the few common traits between the analog generation of parents and the digital native generation of their children.
