Teens who play sports in high school have better mental health and less stress levels as young adults, a new study finds.

The growing years of a person are very significant and play an important role in his physical and mental well-being as an adult. A new study by researchers from the University of Toronto found that individuals that play sports when they are between 12 to 17 years of age enjoy reduced stress levels and better mental health as young adults.

For the study, 850 students from 10 Canadian schools were surveyed during the last five years of their secondary school life. They were asked whether they played sports and if they did, which games they played the most. Another survey was conducted three years after the participants graduated. Researchers asked them to rate their mental health on a scale of 5 and also made them report how often they experienced depression symptoms.

About 40 percent of them said they felt depressed and experienced high levels of stress. The researchers found that most of these students were those that didn't report playing any sports during the first survey. Students that reported being actively involved in sports enjoyed better mental health than the rest.

"There is surprisingly little known about school sport, so we can only speculate as to the unique effects, but we suspect it might be due to school sport providing adolescents with opportunities to bond with other students, feel connected to their school, interact with their peers and coaches, thus, really providing a social and active environment," lead author Catherine M. Sabiston said in a press statement.

This is not the first time a study has highlighted the benefits of playing sports in school.  In fact there have been many heated debates about whether or not sports should be included in school curriculums and made compulsory for all students. It not just improves mental health, but also keeps other diseases at bay. Other reports have also highlighted that physical activities in school inculcate team spirit in children, boost their self esteem and make them more competitive in life.

Another important attribute of playing sports in school is that it keeps obesity at bay. According to CDC reports, childhood obesity rates have risen dramatically over the last few years. Keeping children engaged in sports and physical activities can help curb this trend to a large extent.

The current study was published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.