The Effect of Exercise on Stress and Anxiety

Hypothesis

• Exercising multiple days per week can improve mood and decrease stress and anxiety levels.
• Exercisers may be happier than non-exercisers.

The Gap in Research

• Previous research is mainly done on extreme illnesses
• Examples: studies on people in mental health institutes or people with uncontrolable eating disorders

Method

• I created an online survey and posted it to my facebook
• It was taken by 39 people
• Survey was anonymous

Demographics

• 51% female
• 49% male
• Ages ranged from 16-52
• Average age was 20
• 95% were college-aged
• 39 participants total

Height and Weight

• Average height = 5'6
• Average weight = 145 lbs
• All were within a healthy range (bmi between 18 and 25)

How important is exercise to you?

• Extremely important: 24%
• Very important: 39%
• Somewhat important: 26%
• Not so important:11%
• Not at all important:0%

How many days a week do you exercise?

• 5 to 7: 32%
• 2 to 4: 50%
• Once: 3%
• No regular exercise: 15%

How many days do you experience stress?

• 5 to 7: 35%
• 2 to 4: 30%
• Once: 18%
• Never: 17%

Are you physically healthy?

• Extremely healthy: 13%
• Very healthy: 34%
• Somewhat healthy: 50%
• Not that healthy: 3%
• Not at all healthy: 0%

Are you mentally healthy?

• Yes: 81%
• No: 19%

Are you happier on the days you exercise?

Does exercise improve your stress and anxiety levels?

Findings

• Most people exercise and still experience stress and anxiety
• The participants who exercised the most typically had the least amount of stressful days
• 83% said they feel happier on the days that they workout
• 85% said that exercise improves their stress and anxiety levels

Conclusion

• My hypothesis is correct in about 84% of cases
• The 16% of the time I am incorrect may be because 19% of participants said they are not mentally healthy. If they actually have a real mental illness they may need more help than just exercising.