Given the challenges of long cycles, inconsistent results, and a lack of sustainability in school-based psychological interventions and emotion regulation methods, which make them ineffective in alleviating anxiety and depression experienced by adolescents during social interactions, this study introduces physical exercise, specifically badminton training, as an intervention for emotion regulation and social adaptation, exploring the role of exercise intervention in improving adolescent mental health. Data are collected from a sample of adolescents using a questionnaire-based and experimental design. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to examine the impact of physical exercise on adolescents' emotion regulation efficacy, social interaction skills, and subjective well-being, focusing on the mediating effects of self-efficacy and emotion regulation strategies. The experimental intervention involves a moderate-intensity exercise program, primarily based on badminton, designed to maintain a heart rate between 120 and 150 beats per minute. Physical examinations, heart rate monitoring, warm-up and stretching, and social and psychological assessments are also implemented to ensure safety and scientific research. Reliability and validity tests and model fit analysis are conducted using AMOS 24.0 software to assess the rationality of the research instrument and structural model. Through "emotion controlling efficacy → emotion suppression mechanisms → mental health" (β = 0.15, 95% CI = [0.09, 0.21]), the experimental results demonstrate that physical exercise also has a noticeable chain mediation effect. This implies that the association between physical exercise and mental health was mediated by psychological regulation techniques as well as the effectiveness of emotion regulation.

Haorui Yang, Aote Chen. Impact of Badminton Training on Adolescents' Social and Emotional Regulation Ability. Frontiers in Sport Research (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 5: 102-108. https://doi.org/10.25236/FSR.2025.070516.

[1] Salazar Kaempf, M., Adam, L., Rohr, M. K., et al. (2023). A meta-analysis of the relationship between emotion regulation and social affect and cognition. Clinical Psychological Science, 11(6), 1159-1189.

[2] Eriksen, E. V., & Bru, E. (2023). Investigating the links of social-emotional competencies: Emotional well-being and academic engagement among adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 67(3), 391-405.

[3] Hansen Sandseter, E. B., Kleppe, R., & Ottesen Kennair, L. E. (2023). Risky play in children’s emotion regulation, social functioning, and physical health: An evolutionary approach. International Journal of Play, 12(1), 127-139.

[4] Li, X., Li, Y., Hu, W., et al. (2023). More socio-emotional regulation, more effective? Exploring social regulation of learning in collaborative argumentation among the high and low performing groups. Metacognition and Learning, 18(1), 261-293.

[5] Mousoulidou, M., Taxitari, L., & Christodoulou, A. (2024). Social media news headlines and their influence on well-being: Emotional states, emotion regulation, and resilience. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 14(6), 1647-1665.

[6] Restrepo, J. E., Cardona, E. Y. B., Montoya, G. P. C., et al. (2023). Academic stress and adaptation to university life: Mediation of cognitive-emotional regulation and social support. Anales de Psicología/Annals of Psychology, 39(1), 62-71.

[7] Giordano, A. L., Schmit, M. K., & McCall, J. (2023). Exploring adolescent social media and internet gaming addiction: The role of emotion regulation. Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 44(1), 69-80.

[8] Boyes, M. E., Mah, M. A., & Hasking, P. (2023). Associations between family functioning, emotion regulation, social support, and self-injury among emerging adult university students. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(3), 846-857.

[9] Sethi, S. S., & Jain, K. (2024). AI technologies for social emotional learning: Recent research and future directions. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 17(2), 213-225.

[10] Almeida, F., Marques, D. R., & Gomes, A. A. (2023). A preliminary study on the association between social media at night and sleep quality: The relevance of FOMO, cognitive pre-sleep arousal, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 64(2), 123-132.

[11] Fombouchet, Y., Pineau, S., Perchec, C., et al. (2023). The development of emotion regulation in adolescence: What do we know and where to go next? Social Development, 32(4), 1227-1242.