Abstract
The association between stress and exercise will be looked into in this research. Physical activity is any muscular action generated by the muscle fibers that requires energy expenditure, whereas psychological stress is a sensation of pressure and strain or psychological discomfort. Bodily activity should always enhance a person’s physical and mental health, which is vital. Many people are led to believe that exercising benefits their physical health.
They need to be made aware that it also enhances mental health. Additionally, it is crucial since it reduces levels of anxiety, despair, and other harmful emotions. Therefore, physical activity is crucial for many people, especially those with mental problems, and engaging in physical activity will help to elevate one’s self-esteem and general attitude. Therefore, it is crucial to undertake research in this area to understand the connection between anxiety and exercise and to draw major conclusions from the study.
Introduction
One of the most prevalent mental health conditions is an anxiety disorder. Since people’s attempts to manage their anxiety interfere with their capacity to fulfill their family, work, and social obligations, anxiety has become a problem. To understand well-being holistically, fields including health, psychology, and exercise physiology are actively collaborating. For instance, health professionals look at links across spiritual and physical wellness, emotional well-being, mental and social health, and other relationships. More study has been done on the connection between exercising and anxiety due to rising awareness of the value of regular exercise and the detrimental effects of daily exercise cessation (Aylett et al., 2018).
Physical activity is associated with greater overall well-being and fewer mental health problems. Exercise is one of the techniques for preventing anxiety. Thus this research may have a greater impact on the lives of those affected, highlighting the importance of the study’s question for a broad audience.
Statement of the Problem
Stress is a complex construct that refers to arousal when an individual’s capacity to respond to environmental demands is surpassed. A good stressor can boost motivation, but a negative stressor might alter the body’s physiological conditions. Most assessments on anxiety disorders conducted by the American Psychological Association found that many persons have physical and emotional signs of stress. Similarly, Pelletier et al. (2017) found that 51.0% of Canadians with mental illnesses did not exercise to assist them in managing their anxiety and mood disorders. One of the main causes of many adults becoming extremely vulnerable and even developing mental diseases that could kill their life is stress. Therefore, it is crucial to research the connection between stress and exercise to find a solution to this issue.
Review of Related Literature
Life will inevitably involve stress, and prior study has linked physical activity to lowered stress levels. According to Aylett et al. (2018), elevated workout strategies are superior to low-intensity exercises. Additionally, Luan et al. (2019) noted that exercising is a therapy for several illnesses and can aid in the recovery of those suffering from depression and anxiety disorders. Similarly, Mikkelsen et al. (2017) contend that routine exercise improves general mental health by lowering stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. Exercise in virtual reality (VR) reportedly helped people feel less depressed and anxious (Zeng et al., 2018). Additionally, VR reduced stress and exhaustion, two factors in many mental diseases.
Purpose of the Study
This study aims to demonstrate how vulnerable persons who experience stress are and how physical exercise and stress are related. Physical activity is a stressor but also tears the microscopic muscle fibers, regrowing stronger as they recover. Because the human body is designed for movement, when exercise is performed, all the biological changes induce the release of stress hormones, lowering the levels of tension in people.
Many academics believe that physical movement is a superior tool for treating various psychological and physical illnesses that affect the human body; hence the subject warrants further study. This is crucial since there is a strong link between stress and physical exercise, which aids in improving one’s health and decreasing mental problems. Since doctors have utilized physical exercise to enhance the patient’s health and other people who suffer from anxiety, it is therefore advised to any population in the course of this particular research. Thus, the goal of this research is to improve the quality of life for everyone and lower stress levels, which will benefit society as a whole.
This study was motivated by the need to identify alternative, affordable, and simple treatments for those with anxiety and depression symptoms. Numerous studies have examined the impact of exercise on older persons’ mental health; however, more research must concentrate on the population of young adults. This study applies findings from earlier research with older participants to the community of young adults who are increasingly experiencing the negative consequences of depression and anxiety.
Study Hypothesis
The study’s alternative hypothesis is that including physical activity in a person’s daily routine will significantly enhance the quality of life for most people who experience stress and mental disorders. Exercising will help fight anxiety disorder in adults aged 18 to 65. The study’s null hypothesis is that persons who do not exercise will experience less stress or the same amount of stress as those who exercise vigorously.
Research Methods
The proposed study examines how exercise affects anxiety in individuals between 18 and 65. The participants will be selected from various backgrounds and will include those who only exercise some days, as well as those who have exercised previously but now prefer not to do so. Participants will complete a smartphone survey while at home to collect data using this smartphone-based method. On a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 denoting no anxiety and 100 denoting very high anxiety levels, the questionnaire will assess their level of anxiety.
Data Analysis
Exercising will be the independent variable in this study, and stress will be the dependent variable. Information from the American Journal of Public Health from 2018 and data from surveys on health promotion will be used to address research topics. Since it will demonstrate a correlation between stress symptoms and exercise, the results will be presented using frequency distributions and graphs, including the relationship between stress and exercise.
According to the statistics, which will be calculated based on the first hypothesis, those who engage in physical exercises have fewer signs of stress than those who do not exercise. Regarding the second premise, it cannot be assumed that those who do not engage in physical exercise have lower stress levels than those who do. In order to identify a connection between regularly exercising and stress without statistically meaningful connections, the data will be scientifically analyzed.
The study’s data will be studied using statistical analysis to see if there is a link between different levels of physical activity and anxiety disorders, hence a correlational research design will be adopted. A correlational study will assist in identifying related variables such that a shift in one impacts the other. This is because it is descriptive and does not rely solely on scientific theory and methods.
Discussion
If the data will reject the null hypothesis, it suggests that exercise and the symptoms of stress have a very close association or connection. Because so few people will participate in this study, it will be impossible to ask everyone whether they engage in exercises to control their anxiety levels and psychological issues. As a result, the study will not provide evidence for the hypothesis. It could be a big assumption, but it may also be employed to increase the significance of this kind of research.
Suppose the study fails to disprove the null hypothesis. In that case, this will demonstrate that people who engage in no physical exercise have lower or comparable stress levels than those who engage in physical activity regularly. Therefore, the higher levels of adult stress will typically imply that anxiety is not the underlying problem. Therefore, further study on the connection between stress and exercise is needed, as well as further studies.
The common belief that obstacles are stressors that boost performance has mostly been scientifically supported. This is because they trigger various reactions from people that result in goal achievement. One limitation of this specific study is that it relies on smartphone-based surveys, where participants may choose to provide inaccurate or biased information. Additionally, only some adults may have access to or own a smartphone.
Significance and Conclusion
Most adults who do not engage in exercises have been observed to have greater levels of unmanageable stress, harming their relationships with peers. Lack of exercise has been linked to higher stress levels. Therefore, to reduce stress, a person is advised to engage in some physical activity when under stress. Even if someone takes medicine to reduce their stress, the likelihood is that their stress levels will rise if they are stressed and do not engage in any physical exercise.
Therefore, this study will aid in advancing most researchers in the field to throw more light on the connection between stress and exercise, which is crucial for human survival in the modern world. This study’s findings will assist many people in understanding the value of exercise concerning stress. It might provide insight into the kinds of mental health advantages offered to adults via participation in particular types of exercise. It may also help psychiatrists to be knowledgeable about the role that exercise can play in treatment regimens for people who exhibit mild or moderate anxiety symptoms and as a tool for preventing mental illness.
References
Aylett, E., Small, N., & Bower, P. (2018). Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice – A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1). Web.
Luan, X., Tian, X., Zhang, H., Huang, R., Li, N., Chen, P., & Wang, R. (2019). Exercise as a prescription for patients with various diseases. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 8(5), 422–441. Web.
Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M., & Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and mental health. Maturitas, 106, 48–56. Web.
Pelletier, L., Shanmugasegaram, S., Patten, S. B., & Demers, A. (2017). Self-management of mood and/or anxiety disorders through physical activity/exercise. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, 37(5), 149–159. Web.
Zeng, N., Pope, Z., Lee, J., & Gao, Z. (2018). Virtual reality exercise for anxiety and depression: A preliminary review of current research in an emerging field. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 7(3), 42. Web.