Is exercise the answer in the future?: The interaction of exercise and duration on anxiety
Kevin Booker
Do you suffer from anxiety?
- 301 million people were affected by anxiety disorders in 2019
- Individuals suffer from lack of appropriate care and effective treatments
- However, it has been shown that engaging in physical activities like skiing can decrease the likelihood of developing anxiety in both men and women.
- Previous studies support the role of physical activity in improving mental well-being, thereby influencing anxiety levels. Understanding the impact of exercise duration on anxiety, underlines the importance for refined investigations into exercise on anxiety to find an answer.
Exercise
Level 1: Jumping jacks
Level 2: Reading
Construct definition
- Exercise is defined as a physical and mental activity to enhance or maintain physical fitness and mental health. For our study this includes jumping jacks and reading as our forms of exercise. We assessed exercise through a self-report questionnaire by participants.
Operational definition
- These two variables were manipulated through random assignment as well as how long the participants would participate in each activity. Either more than a minute or less than a minute.
Duration
- Construct definition
- Duration is defined as the amount of time a participant would participate in an activity in whichever group they were assigned to through random assignment.
- Operational definition
- This variable was manipulated through random assignment to determine which group the participant would be in. Reading for more than a minute, reading for less than a minute, jumping jacks for more than a minute, or jumping jacks for less than a minute.
Anxiety
- Construct definition
- Anxiety is defined as a complex emotional state characterized by feelings of nervousness, worry, and unease. It involves cognitive, emotional, and physiological components, such as heightened arousal, intrusive thoughts, and physical symptoms like increased heart rate and muscle tension.
- Operational definition
- Anxiety levels were measured using a 7-point Likert scale with questions like, This activity gave me anxiety. (1-strongly disagree 7-strongly agree) I felt nervous during this activity. (1-strongly disagree 7-strongly agree)
Hypotheses
| Exercise | Reading | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | ||
| Duration | Less than a minute | Less Anxiety | Less Anxiety |
| More than a Minute | More Anxiety | Less Anxiety |
Results Figure
Discussion
- A limitation to this study is the small sample size, which can limit the implications of the results to larger populations. With a limited sample size, the study may lack statistical power to detect smaller or more detailed effects, in turn limiting the validity of our findings.
- A strength of this study is the use of random assignment, which improves the internal validity by minimizing the influence of confounding variables and ensuring that participants are equally distributed across experimental conditions. Random assignment allows for causal inferences to be drawn regarding the effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable, increasing the credibility and reliability of our findings.
- Our findings suggest that engaging in regular exercise may have a beneficial effect on reducing anxiety levels. This implies that incorporating exercise into mental health interventions or treatment plans could be an effective strategy for healthcare in managing anxiety symptoms and promoting overall well-being.
Exercise is the answer
- To put it simply, the 301 million people affected by anxiety disorders may not need to look any further than getting their mind and body active. This is much more cost effecient and readily avalible than the extinsive treatments that are being provided to treat anxiety in individuals.
- I hope to have an impact for the individuals who struggle with anxiety on a daily basis by providing a readily accesible treatment that is effective and low in cost. Get active to ease your anxiety!