Effect Of Exercise Prescription On Psychological Health Of Secondary School Students

Introduction

This study tries to observe effect of exercise prescription on psychological health of secondary school students based on questionnaire survey and psychological testing, to analyze the relationship between physical activity and psychological health, and to seek suitable exercise prescription for secondary school students.

Methods

1. Exercise prescription: Exercise prescription is based on students’ physiological and psychological characteristics. Every prescription consists of warmup, basic part and warmdown. Exercise intensity of basic part is controlled by heart rate ( ranging from 120 to 140 bpm) with Polar Heart Rate Monitor.     

2. Subjects: 384 students, from 4 grades of 2 secondary schools, were randomly divided into 16 experiment groups (4 groups per grade), and 4 grade-matched groups served as control. 

3. Execution of exercise prescription: 16 exercise prescriptions with varied events were executed respectively by 16 experiment groups. Selected prescriptions were performed 8 successive weeks, 3 times per weeks. 

4. Questionnaire survey: PARS-3, SCL-90 and a self-made questionnaire was applied to investigate students’ participation in physical activity and mental health.

Results

1. Majority of students were suffering from higher learning pressure. Almost all students liked prescribed physical activity patterns provided for them. Most students felt volume and intensity more suitable. And after physical activity, they improved their appetite, dormancy and emotion.

2. Prescribed exercise could efficiently improve students’ psychological health, especially mental regulation. And male students showed more significant improvement in mental regulation than female.

3. Students’ psychological health level showed a gradual lowering trend with stepped-up grade. And prescribed exercise had more significant effect on students of higher grades than that of lower grades, 

4. Prescribed exercise could significantly improve following psychological factors: interpersonal relationship, depressed, anxiety, crankiness and imposed.

Conclusion/Discussion

1. Prescribed Exercise can overall improve students’ psychological health level.

2. Execution of exercise prescription can efficiently improve students’ appetite, dormancy and emotional regulation.

3. Exercise prescription has more significant effect on male students and those in higher grades. This may be related to fewer leisure time for students of higher grades and gives us an important hints to further promote female students’ motive to participate in physical activity afterwards.

4. Prescribed exercise could significantly improve following psychological factors: interpersonal relationship, depressed, anxiety, crankiness and imposed.

References

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[4]. Tanaka G, Ogara T et al (2003). Effects of an educational program on public attitudes towards mental illness, Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 57(6): 595-602.