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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
The Effect that Exercise has Stress and Anxiety
Tyler Pokrywka
Rowan University
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
INTRODUCTION
Literature Review
Within this literature review you will find articles that distinguish a sort of relationship
between exercise and anxiety. Along with that area of study, there will be others that include a
person’s perceived anxiety levels before or after an exercise workout and how it affects them.
The last area of study that will be mentioned includes some actual examples of what could
happen to performance levels with high or low stress levels. There were many attempts to narrow
the topic down and limit it to the relationship of exercise and anxiety among college athletes.
The findings of this direct topic were very slim and very dissatisfying. A topic that seems
interesting involves the relationship of exercise and anxiety among college athletes that involves
their school work and social life around them. There were not too many experiments or surveys
that told readers whether exercising either increased or decreased their anxiety levels, with so
much going on around them in their life. In addition, there was no foundation of full articles that
involved experiments, methods, results, etc. they mostly consisted of a little blog or portion
inside of an article. Since there were not many articles to my specific distinction, there were
some articles that focused mainly on those two topics among college students or just any direct
correlation between exercise and anxiety in general.
According to “A Real Catastrophe” they talk about a catastrophe theory that states that
when athletes or the subjects go “over the edge” in anxiety, their performance levels drop sharply
(111-112). To me this makes perfect sense due to your brain and mind not being in the right
state. If you have a big game or event coming up and something is altering your anxiety level
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
there is no way you can put your focus all in that event or game. There was a study done by
Hardy and Parfitt from “A Real Catastrophe” where they manipulated and altered the anxiety
levels of collegiate basketball athletes during a shooting task. The results of this were very
similar to this catastrophe theory they talk about, where with altered anxiety levels their
performance is not good at all (Hardy and Parfitt). In “Alleviating a Fear of Failure” there was a
study done by Cunningham and Rainey, where they took a sample of 128 varsity athletes split
half and half of male and females. After taking a questionnaire based on their fear of evaluation
and failure the results were that those who experience some anxiety levels will have performance
woes. With these results the coaches should know more in depth about their athletes given their
response and actions toward the anxiety tests.
While researching these articles, there was a realization that there were similar results in
comparison to high levels of anxiety which causes low performance activity. In
“Competitiveness Up, Anxiety Down” male collegiate track and field athletes show low
performance with knowing they have a high stakes competition approaching. High competitive
athletes show more positive results when approached with an upcoming competition because
they see it as non-threatening. Now, if a low competitiveness athlete is approached with an
upcoming competition they see negative results and feel threatened.
In regards to researching these articles and stumbling across different areas of study there
was another article that falls into the same category as anxiety but mainly focuses on pressure. In
this article titled “Pressure Drive” there was data studied and collected from a major league
baseball season. The data consisted of the batters performance in a high pressure situation such
as runners in scoring position with two men out, or just batting late in close games in general.
They compared the pressured and non-pressured situations and found that the performance levels
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
in pressured situations were acutely higher than a regular and normal non-pressured situation.
Regardless of age and experience, the same results applied as if everyone was the same (Davis;
Harvey 1992). Now, from experience of playing baseball for 15 years, there is a certain
understanding for the pressure in a game playing a huge factor. In addition to these abstract
articles there was one article that was actually legit and included the methods and the entire
process. The study was on reducing anxiety sensitivity with exercise, in which the subjects
consisted of 60 people who had abnormally high anxiety levels. They have come to find that
those subjects with the high anxiety had lowered results after an exercise program. This study
was exactly what I was looking for to some extent (Smits, Rosenfield, e.g, 2008).
In conclusion to these articles, they all have similar results as far as the amount of anxiety
levels and exercise that acutely affects it. As I imagined, the amount of anxiety that is associated
with a subject is immediately lowered by the amount of exercise that will counteract it. As
shown above, we can see that anxiety plays a major role in very important situations. Depending
on the type of person and the attitude that comes with that person, will determine the amount of
anxiety exerted. Finally, giving that exercise significantly lowers the anxiety levels in a single
person makes it safe to say that exercise is a prime antecedent for any amount of anxiety levels
that is upon us.
STUDY POPULATION AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Study Population: Full time college students.
Research Question #1: Do college students who exercise experience lower perceived stress and
anxiety?
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
Research Question #2: Does type of exercise correlate with lower perceived stress and anxiety
levels?
METHODS
Subjects
The subjects of my study consisted of 10 participants, 5 male and 5 female college
students. All subjects have to be full time college students that experience some stress and
anxiety over the course of the semester. These students have to be physically active and exercise
during the course of these stressful periods over the semester.
Instrumentation
The study used a series of questions developed in a questionnaire that incorporated when the
subjects feel the most anxiety and how they handle that anxiety throughout the semester that they
personally experience.
College Students and The Effect Exercise has on Anxiety
Directions: Please answer the following questions to its full extent that pertains to your personal
experience.
1. During the course of the semester do you feel that exercise lowers stress and anxiety?
Yes___ No___ Why?
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
2. Have you previously experienced any type of anxiety before in your life? Yes___
No___
3. What types of things do you experience that may cause your anxiety or stress?
4. What are your perceived anxiety levels before you exercise? Answer in levels of high,
moderate, or low and explain.
5. What are your perceived anxiety levels after you exercise? Are they higher, lower or
the same as before your workout? Explain.
6. Do you feel as if your anxiety levels increase or decrease during your workout?
7. Does your anxiety levels, depend on the duration of your workout? Yes___ No___
8. Does your anxiety levels increase or decrease depending on the intensity of your
workout?
9. What type of exercises do you feel works best for you in order to lower your stress
and anxiety levels?
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
10. How often do you feel the need to work out during the week, in order to lower your
perceived stress and anxiety?
Additional Comments:
Procedures
All of the students in the specific population associated with this study will have to lye in
the required field of being a full time student in order to be invited to participate in the study.
The survey will be handed out to 10 random students of my choice that I happen to come across
throughout the day. Each student can either accept the survey in which I can either email to them
or if they want a hard copy to turn back to me within the week. I will keep in touch with each
subject by email in order to keep things flowing and on track so I can get the results at the same
time roughly. If this procedure doesn’t work out as planned, I will set a time and place to where
the students can fill out the survey first hand and as I leave the room for 30 minutes the students
can complete the surveys and place them in a safe and secure box.
Data Analysis Methods
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
Data analysis included both quantitative and qualitative data measures that each subject can
understand completely. I will incorporate the numerical data regarding the answers from
questions 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 where I will calculate the mean, median and mode using a specific
coding system. Specifically questions 1, 2, and 7 the yes/no variables (1=Yes; 0=No) were used.
In question 4 the subjects were set to answer in terms of high/moderate/low (1=High; 0=Low)
with the third option of “moderate” was treated as a missing variable. As for question number 5
the subjects were set to answer in terms of higher/lower/same (1=Higher; 0=Lower) with the
third option of “same” was treated as a missing variable. Quantitative data measures involves
mainly descriptions and of things that cannot be measured, as compared to qualitative whereas
you can measure and use numerical data. These measures will be used throughout the survey and
study to get complete and accurate results throughout the course of the semester from the
specific subjects.
Results
Study Sample
The study sample consisted of 5 male and female college students. The survey was administrated
through email after confronting participants outside of the local gym.
Analysis of the Data
The data that was gathered in this study was analyzed using both quantitative descriptive
statistics (including means, medians, and modes) and qualitative practices. The researchers in
this study primarily focused on if college students who exercise perceive lower levels of stress
and anxiety.
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
Quantitative Analysis
Coding System
Five out of the ten survey questions contained measurable quantitative portions (numbers 1, 2, 4,
5, and 7). I will calculate the mean, median and mode using a specific coding system.
Specifically questions 1, 2, and 7 the yes/no variables (1=Yes; 0=No) were used. In question 4
the subjects were set to answer in terms of high/moderate/low (1=High; 0=Low) with the third
option of “moderate” was treated as a missing variable. As for question number 5 the subjects
were set to answer in terms of higher/lower/same (1=Higher; 0=Lower) with the third option of
“same” was treated as a missing variable. The quantitative data description is shown in Table 1.
Table 1
Quantitative Data Statistics
Measure
N
Mean
Median
Mode
Effect of Exercise
10
.80
1.0
1.0
Experience
10
1.0
1.0
1.0
Perceived levels before
10
.60
1.0
1.0
10
.30
0.0
0.0
exercise
Perceived levels after exercise
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
Duration
10
.90
1.0
1.0
The numbers in the table above were founded by the type of answer that was given in response to
my survey questions. I have found that the study population seemed to agree with the research I
found on this topic of the effect that exercise has on stress and anxiety. The majority of students,
regardless of their gender type seem to be in agreement that exercise has an effect of stress and
anxiety. Each of the answers recorded met expectations to what I figured I would see.
Qualitative Analysis
On the question relating to what types of things do you experience that may cause your
anxiety or stress, was the only successful input that 3 participants commented on.
1. Over the course of the semester, dealing with school work is my main stress.
2. Balancing out my schedule for my work and finding out time to put studying into my
schedule causes most anxiety on me and I would assume most college working
students.
3. Relationship problems and stress from parents are my main anxiety woes.
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
References
A Real Catastrophe. (1992). Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 14(1), 111-112.
Alleviating a Fear of Failure. (1989). Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 11(1), 10-11.
Araújo, S. R., Cassiano de, de Mello, M. T., & Leite, J. R. (2007). [Anxiety disorders and
physical exercise]. Revista Brasileira De Psiquiatria (São Paulo, Brazil : 1999), 29(2),
164-171.
Chu, H., Bushman, B. A., & Woodard, R. J. (2008). Social Physique Anxiety, Obligation to
Exercise, and Exercise Choices Among College Students. Journal Of American College
Health, 57(1), 7-14
Competitiveness Up, Anxiety Down. (1993). Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 15(1),
110.
Davis, M.H., & Harvey, J.C. (1992). Declines in major league batting performance
as a function of game pressure: A drive theory analysis. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 22, 714-735.
Grove, J., & Buckworth, J. (1996). Finding the "Zone". Journal Of Sport & Exercise Psychology,
18(4), 445-446.
Hallgren, M. Å., Moss, N. D., & Gastin, P. (2010). Regular exercise participation mediates the
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Effects of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety
affective response to acute bouts of avigorous exercise. Journal Of Sports Science &
Medicine, 9(4), 629-637.
Jazaieri, H., Goldin, P. R., Werner, K., Ziv, M., & Gross, J. J. (2012). A Randomized Trial of
MBSR Versus Aerobic Exercise for Social Anxiety Disorder. Journal Of Clinical
Psychology, 68(7), 715-731.
Smits, J., Berry, A., Rosenfield, D., Powers, M., Behar, E., & Otto, M. (2008). Reducing anxiety
sensitivity with exercise. Depression And Anxiety, 25(8), 689-699. doi:10.1002/da.20411
Swain, A., & Jones, G. (1992). Relationships between sport achievement orientation
and competitive state anxiety. The Sport Psychologist, 6, 42-54.
ZENG, H. Z., LEUNG, R. W., & Wenhao, L. (2008). An Examination of Competitive Anxiety
and Self-Confidence among College Varsity Athletes.