Physical Activity

College students are at risk of mental health issues and being physically active can aid in improving sleep, anxiety, and depression.

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Physical activity and sleep in relation to anxiety and depression in college students


  • A study was done in different colleges in India
  • Physical activity reduces levels of anxiety in students. The more physically active you are, the less likely you are to experience anxiety symptoms.
  • Better sleep quality leads to a decrease in the symptoms of both anxiety and depression.
  • Students with bad sleep quality were almost 2 times more likely to have symptoms of both anxiety and depression.
  •  The students who participated in moderate physical activity were more than 6 times less likely to have anxiety/experience anxiety symptoms in comparison to students who were physically inactive (Ghrouz et al., 2019).



  • According to PsychCentral, mental health disorders are increasing among college students. 
  • This could be due to the addition of new pressures, a new environment, etc. It was also mentioned that students who spent more time on electronics and less time exercising were more likely to experience mental health problems.
  • In order to better mental health, it’s important to be active and also have a healthy sleeping schedule. Both of these things are vital in the reduction of depression and anxiety.

Ways to be physically active


As college students, we often have very tight schedules and might find it difficult to make time for exercising. There are still ways to involve physical activity into your daily routine. According to the American Heart Association, you can include physical activity into your schedule by walking more whenever you’re able to.

You can do this by:

  • Taking the stairs
  • Walking to class
  • Walking around while on

      the phone or watching lectures

  • Yoga
  • Using treadmill while watching T.V


* Physical activity doesn’t have to be big and complicated, simple things that get you moving whenever you can still have benefits towards your health.

  • You can also create a workout routine to stick to. Mayo Clinic has 5 steps you can take towards creating a fitness plan specific to you.


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References

  • Ghrouz, A. K., Noohu, M. M., Dilshad Manzar, M., Warren Spence, D., BaHammam, A. S., & Pandi-Perumal, S. (2019). Physical activity and sleep quality in relation to mental health among college students. Sleep & Breathing, 23(2), 627-634. doi:10.1007/s11325-019-01780-z
  • Person. (2022, April 12). Why is anxiety and depression in college students so high?. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/depression/depression-and-anxiety-among-college-students 
  • No time for exercise? here are 7 easy ways to move more!. www.heart.org. (2022, October 20). https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/getting-active/no-time-for-exercise-here-are-7-easy-ways-to-move-more 
  • Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, December 16). 5 steps to start a fitness program. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20048269