The benefits of physical exercise on state anxiety: Exploring possible mechanisms

Abstract

Although several studies have shown that one acute bout of physical exercise can reduce state anxiety in healthy samples, studies that examine this effect in subclinical and clinical samples are still rare and have found mixed results. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a single session of acute exercise on state anxiety in a subclinical sample with moderate to high anxiety sensitivity. Potential mediators, including self-efficacy, self-esteem, mindfulness, subjective vitality, rumination and emotional competencies were explored. Participants (N = 88) with moderate to high anxiety sensitivity were assigned randomly to either an active group (n = 44) or a control group (n = 44). State anxiety and the mediator variables were assessed before and after the intervention. State anxiety was reduced from baseline to post-intervention, but no difference was found between groups. Exploratory analyses suggested that in the active intervention condition, a reduction in state anxiety was partly mediated by an increase in positive affect and mediated by an increase in subjective vitality. One acute bout of exercise might not be enough to decrease state anxiety in subclinical individuals with moderate to high anxiety sensitivity. However, the results of this study suggest that positive affect and subjective vitality could be two mechanisms that might explain the beneficial effect of exercise on anxiety. This should be further investigated in future studies.