Did you know that physical activity can help teenagers feel more included, not just fitter? Doing sports together can create connection, belonging, and a sense of being part of something bigger than oneself.
Adolescents aged 12–19 who participate in team sports or other organized physical activities experience lower levels of social exclusion (Rodríguez-Negro et al. 2025). In Finland, the Physical Activity Outreach Worker called liikuntaetsivä activity model supports this idea in practice. The model focuses on identifying young people who may need extra support and helping them find meaningful ways to include physical activity in their everyday lives. By lowering the barriers to participation and creating supported ways into physical activity, the model can also play a role in preventing social exclusion and promoting wellbeing among young people.
The current state of youth physical activity in Finland
There are many ways to get exercise: play, outdoor time, and organized sports. All of them support young people’s physical, psychological, and social health while helping build resilience. This is particularly important for adolescents in vulnerable situations, who may face barriers to participation due to socioeconomic circumstances, disability, gender, ethnic background, or a lack of supportive environments (Ulset et al. 2025).
It is recommended that children and young people should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day (Ministry of Education and Culture 2021). In Finland, the reality is far from the goal. Only about one in three 8th and 9th graders reach this recommended amount. Among high school and vocational students, the number drops even further to just one in five (THL 2025.) These figures are worrying, especially when we know how closely movement is linked to both physical and mental well-being.
Understanding social exclusion
To understand why the work of a physical activity outreach worker among young people is so vital, we must look at the concept of social exclusion. We know that risk factors are often a ”piling up” of disadvantages such as long-term unemployment and low education levels in the family, substance abuse and mental health problems, as well as low income and poor socioeconomical growth environment.
Social exclusion can be prevented by measures that promote the health and well-being of both the young person and their families (THL 2023). The negative effects of exclusion, such as loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, increased aggressive behaviour, and school dropout are serious. To fight these problems it is important that services must support young people self-confidence and provide them with concrete skills that enable them to function in their everyday life.
The social power of movement – a shield against exclusion
Physical fitness and participation in activities acts as a protective shield. When a young person takes part in physical activity such as team sports, it is associated with lower levels of social exclusion. Exercise helps create positive self-image and improves self-esteem, which in turn can lead to better social relationships (Rodríguez-Negro et al. 2025.)
What do young people think about the barriers to start exercising? The Liitu-report (Hirvensalo M., Koski P. 2025, 50) highlights that the most common barriers are often external, such as lack of guidance, poor facilities, and high costs. Personal barriers, like lack of time, other hobbies, or a lack of interest, also play a role. The physical activity outreach worker acts as a companion who walks alongside the young person to help remove these obstacles. By addressing external barriers and providing emotional encouragement, they help young people leave home and get moving.
Introducing the physical activity outreach worker
Because of various reasons for young people’s lack of activity, the Finnish YMCA Federation runs a project aimed at providing young people with positive experiences of physical activity and social situations. The physical activity outreach worker model identifies young people who need comprehensive support and helps them to find ways to engage in physical activity in everyday life. (YMCA n.d.)
The YMCA implements the project in their own local organization in Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere and Turku. The project started in 2021. (YMCA Turku 2021.) The physical activity outreach worker model operates by offering physical activities for young people aged 16 to 29. The model has three work methods: individual guidance, small-group activities and digital activities. Individual guidance aims at finding the connection between moving and mental health. Small-group activities provide a space where young people can meet and at the same time interact with others. Digital activities use digital environments that are natural for young people. (YMCA n.d.)
The project’s activity locations are easy to achieve and activities are usually organized outdoors. The strength of the program lies in its agile and individual perspective and low threshold for participation. (YMCA n.d.) The work of physical activity outreach worker is like outreach youth work where they meet young people in the world of physical activity (Aallontie, J., Metsälä, M. 2025).
Being physically active together offers social elements, such as a sense of belonging. In particular, physical activity carried out in groups is associated with fewer mental health symptoms and greater psychological strength. (Appelqvist-Schmidlechner 2024.) Long-term studies show that taking part in sports during adolescence also reduces obesity and is linked to higher activity levels (Bengtsson et al. 2025). These positive health effects are highly beneficial in young people’s lives, and they can create greater well-being also later in life. Ultimately, promoting physical activity is about much more than exercise. It’s about creating spaces where young people can move, connect, and feel that they belong.
Writers
Maija Hankkila, Suvi Järvenpää, Niko Laaksonen, Elina Pohjosaho and Liisa Yrjämä. Students of Welfare and Health Coordinator Master’s Degree Programme at Savonia University of Applied Sciences
Pirjo Pehkonen and Sanna Savela. Lecturers at Savonia University of Applied Sciences
Sources
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