Effects of physical activity on anxiety and depression in college students: mediating effects of exercise tolerance and psychological resilience

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Previous research in university students has suggested that physical activity relates to an aggregate measure of negative mood states (e.g., anxiety, depression, stress) via a serial mediation model through exercise tolerance and resilience. Therefore, this study seeks to separate unique constructs of negative emotional states (e.g., anxiety, depression) in the model and to examine whether this pathway holds in a population of United States university students. Methods: 767 undergraduate students (Age = 20.38 ± 1.26 yrs, Female = 60.9%, BMI = 23.99 ± 4.11 kg/m2) completed a 7-day recall of days spent exercising, the Preference for and Tolerance of Exercise Intensity Questionnaire, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Two separate serial mediation analyses were performed to analyse the impact of physical activity on mental health constructs (i.e., anxiety, depression) through exercise tolerance and resilience. Greater engagement in physical activity was related to higher exercise tolerance and resilience and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, exercise tolerance and resilience fully mediated the relationship between physical activity and anxiety and depression, with 31% and 21% of the variance explained, respectively. Both models had significant indirect effects of physical activity on depression through resilience, but not through exercise tolerance.