The relationship between the duration of daily physical exercise and depression and anxiety scores appears to follow an inverse parabolic shape

Introduction Mental health is an essential aspect of overall well-being. Nowadays, mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are increasingly prevalent. Evidence indicates that physical exercise can mitigate anxiety and depression.Theory The influence of physical exercise on psychological conditions differs by the type and duration of exercise.Participants and methods A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among university students. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 to self-report their depression and anxiety scores, respectively. The correlation between anxiety and depression scores and the duration of daily exercise was analyzed.Results This cohort included 1,241 female and 756 male university students, with a mean age of 18.97 ± 0.02 years. Females engaged in less exercise and had higher scores for anxiety and depression than males. The association between anxiety and depression scores and the duration of daily physical exercise appeared to follow an inverse parabolic shape. Moreover, anxiety and depression scores were comparable among walkers, runners, and bikers. The relationship between the duration of daily physical exercise and depression scores varied by gender.Discussion Females display higher anxiety and depression scores than males. The relationship between the duration of daily physical exercise and depression and anxiety scores follows an inverse U-shaped pattern. Further studies are warranted to validate these findings and to explore the underlying mechanisms behind the observed inverse parabolic relationship between physical exercise and mental health. Exercise duration above two hours was associated with slightly higher symptom scores in this sample, a finding that requires confirmation.