Preservation and restoration of students’ mental health during the war through the use of rationally organized motor activity

Aim: To investigate the effect of rationally organized martial arts training sessions on preserving and restoring students’ mental health during the war. Materials and Methods: The research involved 60 male students aged 18-19, of whom the experimental and control groups were formed. The experimental group students, in addition to their compulsory physical education training sessions, attended optional martial arts training sessions 3 times a week; the students of the control group were engaged in physical exercises scheduled only 2 times a week. The students’ mental health was studied by indicators of stress and anxiety. Results: The research of the baseline level of the students’ mental health has found that about 50 % of the students have high levels of anxiety, and more than 80 % experience signs of stress. It has been found that rationally organized martial arts training sessions contribute to the preservation and restoration of the mental health of students during the war. It has been found that the level of students’ stress in the experimental group significantly decreased by 61.8 %. The levels of personal and reactive anxiety decreased by 7.0 % and 10.5 %, respectively. The control group had no significant changes. Conclusions: The effect of rationally organized martial arts training sessions on the preservation and restoration of students’ mental health during the war has been proven by a significant reduction in stress levels, as well as a decrease in the indicators of personal and reactive anxiety and their approximation to the optimal level.