<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><italic>Study aim:</italic> To determine anxiolytic effects of acute physical exertions in relation to the initial anxiety state and trait in women.<italic>Material and methods:</italic> A group of 163 women aged 16 - 56 years, attending fitness clubs in Warsaw, participated in the study. They selected a single exercise to perform - strength, aerobic or mixed, lasting 30 to over 60 min. They were requested to fill Spielberger's STAI questionnaires for determining the state anxiety (pre- and post-exercise) and trait anxiety (post-exercise). Questionnaire results were converted to logarithms, pre-post differences were computed and correlated with age, trait anxiety and pre-exercise state anxiety. Multiple correlation and the contributions of independent variables to the total variance of pre-post differences were also computed.<italic>Results:</italic> Pre-post differences in state anxiety were significantly correlated with pre-exercise state anxiety (r = 0.514; p&lt;0.001) but not with either age or trait anxiety. As shown by regression equation, pre-exercise state anxiety up to 28 may, on the average, be associated with post-exercise increases. The contribution of pre-exercise state anxiety to the total variance of pre-post differences amounted to 27% (p&lt;0.001), those of other variables not exceeding 5%.<italic>Conclusions:</italic> The fact that subjects with high pre-exercise state anxiety are prone to its highest decrease post-exercise ought to be considered when designing leisure activity programmes.</abstract>

Study aim: To determine anxiolytic effects of acute physical exertions in relation to the initial anxiety state and trait in women.Material and methods: A group of 163 women aged 16 - 56 years, attending fitness clubs in Warsaw, participated in the study. They selected a single exercise to perform - strength, aerobic or mixed, lasting 30 to over 60 min. They were requested to fill Spielberger's STAI questionnaires for determining the state anxiety (pre- and post-exercise) and trait anxiety (post-exercise). Questionnaire results were converted to logarithms, pre-post differences were computed and correlated with age, trait anxiety and pre-exercise state anxiety. Multiple correlation and the contributions of independent variables to the total variance of pre-post differences were also computed.Results: Pre-post differences in state anxiety were significantly correlated with pre-exercise state anxiety (r = 0.514; p<0.001) but not with either age or trait anxiety. As shown by regression equation, pre-exercise state anxiety up to 28 may, on the average, be associated with post-exercise increases. The contribution of pre-exercise state anxiety to the total variance of pre-post differences amounted to 27% (p<0.001), those of other variables not exceeding 5%.Conclusions: The fact that subjects with high pre-exercise state anxiety are prone to its highest decrease post-exercise ought to be considered when designing leisure activity programmes.

State/trait anxiety and anxiolytic effects of acute physical exercises

Department of Psychology, University of Physical Education, Warsaw, Poland

Biomedical Human Kinetics

{"article-title":"State/trait anxiety and anxiolytic effects of acute physical exercises"}

Study aim: To determine anxiolytic effects of acute physical exertions in relation to the initial anxiety state and trait in women.Material and methods: A...

State/trait anxiety and anxiolytic effects of acute physical exercises

Published Online: Apr 06, 2009

Page range: 6 - 10

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-009-0003-0

Keywords
Acute exercise, Anxiolytic effect, Women, State anxiety, Trait anxiety

This content is open access.

State/trait anxiety and anxiolytic effects of acute physical exercises

Published Online: Apr 06, 2009

Page range: 6 - 10

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-009-0003-0

KeywordsAcute exercise, Anxiolytic effect, Women, State anxiety, Trait anxiety

This content is open access.

Keywords
Acute exercise, Anxiolytic effect, Women, State anxiety, Trait anxiety