IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v86y2025ipes1544612325020112.html

The impact of physical exercise on risk asset allocation

Author

Listed:
  • He, Dongjin
  • Zhou, Jiajun
  • Li, Yingmei
  • Zhong, Zhengqi

Abstract

We study the relationship between physical exercise and the risky asset allocation. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2010 to 2022. We find that physical exercise increases respondents’ risky assets allocation, which through enhancing individual’s health and future confidence, thus elevating risk tolerance and preference. Cross-section tests show that the promotion in risky asset allocation is stronger among groups with higher income or less economic pressure. Our research findings provide references for policymakers in promoting the coordinated development of national fitness and enhancing residents’ participation in the financial market.

Suggested Citation

  • He, Dongjin & Zhou, Jiajun & Li, Yingmei & Zhong, Zhengqi, 2025. "The impact of physical exercise on risk asset allocation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PE).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:86:y:2025:i:pe:s1544612325020112
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.108757
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325020112
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.108757?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Atella, Vincenzo & Brunetti, Marianna & Maestas, Nicole, 2012. "Household portfolio choices, health status and health care systems: A cross-country analysis based on SHARE," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1320-1335.
    2. Rita H. Ryu & Britta Larsen & Andrea LaCroix & Steve Nguyen & Alex Ivan B. Posis & Benjamin T. Schumacher & Suzanne C. Danhauer & Hilary A. Tindle & John Bellettiere, 2023. "Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Optimism and Positive Affect in Older Women," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 717-743, February.
    3. Guo, BenSu & Guo, JinDong, 2025. "The digital divide and household risky financial investments in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    4. Wu, Yanjun & Chen, Wenchuan & Yan, Han, 2024. "The accountability system for operation and investment and audit quality of state-owned enterprises," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    5. Feng, Jun & Li, Xiaohe & Shi, Yi & Meng, Weize, 2023. "Physical activity and labor market returns: Empirical evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    6. Li, Qize & Brounen, Dirk & Li, Jianjun & Wei, Xu, 2022. "Social interactions and Chinese households’ participation in the risky financial market," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    7. Rice, Nigel & Robone, Silvana, 2022. "The effects of health shocks on risk preferences: Do personality traits matter?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 356-371.
    8. Song, Yang & Wu, Weixing & Zhou, Guangsu, 2020. "Inequality of opportunity and household risky asset investment: Evidence from panel data in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    9. Katarzyna Sekścińska & Joanna Rudzinska-Wojciechowska & Diana Jaworska, 2022. "The effect of state and trait power on financial risk-taking: The mediating and moderating roles of optimism," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(10), pages 1-23, October.
    10. Paya, Ivan & Wang, Peng, 2016. "Wealth fluctuations and investment in risky assets: The UK micro evidence on households asset allocation," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(PA), pages 221-235.
    11. Zhang, Chang & Yao, Bo & Zhang, Chenjing, 2025. "Basic public service equalization and household risk investment behavior," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    12. Liu, Sujiao & Zhu, Mengcheng & Ling, Wenhao, 2023. "Research on the impact of population aging and endowment insurance on household financial asset allocation- Evidence on CFPS data," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    13. Chen, Sicen & Lin, Shuping & Luo, Yalin & Zhang, Pengdong, 2025. "How do entrepreneurial directors shape financial reporting quality in non-profit organizations?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    14. Rosen, H.S.Harvey S. & Wu, Stephen, 2004. "Portfolio choice and health status," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(3), pages 457-484, June.
    15. Chen, Sicen & Liu, Siyi & Zhang, Junsheng & Zhang, Pengdong, 2023. "The effect of extreme rainfall on corporate financing policies," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 670-685.
    16. Andrej Cupak & Pirmin Fessler & Joanne W. Hsu & Piotr R. Paradowski, 2020. "Confidence, financial literacy and investment in risky assets: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances," Working and Discussion Papers WP 4/2020, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    17. Wang, Jiaxin & Yuan, Xue & Huang, Xiang & Liu, Chengxin & Zhang, Pengdong, 2024. "Can digitalization facilitate cross-border M&A? Evidence from Chinese A-share listed companies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(PA).
    18. Lai, Jinming & Ke, Jinjun & Lin, Shuping & Zhang, Pengdong & Zhang, Qihao, 2024. "Business environment optimization and labor income share of enterprises: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    19. Chen, Wenchuan & Liu, Yu & Liu, Siyi & Chen, Yugang & Zhang, Pengdong, 2024. "The governance effects of social media engagement on M&A outcomes: Evidence from China," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    20. Chen, Hua & Guo, Yunxiao & Li, Ding & Xiao, Han, 2025. "Pension insurance, risk attitudes, and household asset allocation–evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 2180-2191.
    21. Ma, Liang & He, Qiqi & Gan, Qixu, 2025. "Impact of short-term labor contracts on financial health: Evidence from migrant worker households in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 448-463.
    22. Long, Houyin & Wu, Guilin & Wang, Jiaxin & Zhang, Pengdong, 2023. "How U.S. job policy affects China's scientific and technological manufacturing firms? A perspective based on the competitive environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    23. Gu, Yao & Zhu, Xingui, 2024. "Homeownership and household risky asset holdings: Moderating role of social security and the mediating role of subjective well-being," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    24. Mingming Jiang & Rongrong Sun & Bo Zhang, 2022. "Social networks and household financial decisions: evidence from China," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 58-92, December.
    25. Zheng, Siyu & Zhang, Qihao & Zhang, Pengdong, 2023. "Can customer concentration affect corporate ESG performance?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    26. Yajie Qiao & Yunchao Cai, 2023. "Financial assets and happiness: evidence from the China Household Finance Survey," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(4), pages 466-471, February.
    27. Yongbo Ge & Hongyu Chen & Liping Zou & Zhuojun Zhou, 2021. "Political Background and Household Financial Asset Allocation in China," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(4), pages 1232-1246, March.
    28. Jingjing Ye & Lulu Zhao, 2025. "Do Traditional Family Values Affect Household Asset Allocation? — Empirical from China," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 277-296, March.
    29. Cardak, Buly A. & Wilkins, Roger, 2009. "The determinants of household risky asset holdings: Australian evidence on background risk and other factors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 850-860, May.
    30. Angelini, Viola & Cavapozzi, Danilo, 2017. "Dispositional optimism and stock investments," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 113-128.
    31. He, Yiran & He, Xinao & Yan, Siyu & Huang, Jian, 2025. "Social security, health capital and household investment behavior," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lun, Miaoxing & Fu, Yumei & Chen, Wenchuan & Liu, Zijian, 2025. "The accountability system for operation and investment and the sustainable development of state-owned enterprises: Evidence from ESG performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(PE).
    2. Yang, Yiye & Li, Xiaohong & Zhang, Qihao & Zhang, Pengdong, 2025. "The externalities of managerial myopia: Aspiration performance gap and film quality in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    3. Li, Min & Wang, Zijia & Wei, Zhe, 2026. "Digital new quality productivity and high-quality development of enterprises," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    4. Feng, Yongjie & Zhang, Zenglian & Zhang, Jingxian & Zhou, Wenjie, 2025. "More authentic data asset disclosure by myopic managers: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    5. Wang, Xiaodong & Deng, Yunfeng & Mao, Xiaomeng, 2025. "The impact of bank digital transformation on enterprises digital technology innovation in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. He, Min & Lin, Lin, 2024. "China’s public long-term care insurance and risky asset allocation among elderly households," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    7. Deng, Meizhen & Gao, Jiapeng & Yuan, Gecheng & Ke, Linyu & Yao, Junchen, 2025. "Data-driven hiring in firms: Evidence from the launch of Chinese public data platforms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    8. Ding, Zijia & Liu, Qian & Che, Dexin, 2025. "Specialization in Bank lending and firm deleveraging: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    9. Zhiyuan, Dong & Zenglian, Zhang & Mingqin, Chen, 2025. "Impact of local government attention on basic research," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    10. Liu, Xin & Liu, Chenlan & Duan, Mingzhe & Chen, Sicen, 2025. "Cash management amid HFCAA-Induced data breach risks: A comparative analysis of reactive vs. proactive responses in Chinese firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    11. Liu, Yanqi & Ke, Jinjun & Chen, Aihua & Cai, Xiang, 2025. "Judicial independence and corporate innovation: Evidence from China's unified management of local courts reform," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    12. Wang, Jiaxin & Guo, Xu & Sun, Di & Huang, Rui, 2024. "Alcohol culture and employee treatment," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    13. Chen, Lirong & Mu, Ruirui & Dai, Yanwen & Huang, Xuanhao, 2024. "Private enterprise identity and short-term debt for long-term investment: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    14. Dong, Jingxuan & Li, Qiang & Cheung, Adrian (Wai Kong), 2026. "The impact of health status on household portfolio efficiency: Insights from medical insurance," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    15. Li, Jingrong & Mi, Xinyu & Zhang, Chenlei & Qin, Yanran, 2024. "Social pension insurance and household risky asset investment: Evidence from China," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 219-233.
    16. Zhang, Ruichen & Wen, Lei & Xu, Ling, 2025. "Answering without being asked: The effect of voluntary disclosure of digital strategy on stock price synchronicity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Lin, Xiaowei & Zhang, Pengdong & Yang, Zhihao & Chen, Sicen, 2025. "US sanctions and corporate innovation: Evidence from Chinese listed firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    18. Chen, Lirong & Long, Yuxuan & Tang, Xuemei & Wang, Jiani, 2025. "Can accounts receivable factoring restrain corporate financialization? Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    19. Zhang, Li & Chen, Xikai & Peng, Jiao & Guo, Tongtong, 2025. "Can digital inclusive finance promote the Internet business model? Empirical evidence from Chinese listed firms," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    20. Zheng, Tianyu & Zhang, Kunpeng & Lin, Zhenxing, 2025. "ECL model and the development of shadow banking?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:86:y:2025:i:pe:s1544612325020112. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.