lacerdaajr@hotmail.com

ivanwallan@gmail.com

r.venditti-junior@unesp.br

Osvaldo Tadeu da Silva Junior+

osvaldo.tadeu@gmail.com

Henrique de Oliveira Castro++

henriquecastro88@yahoo.com.br

Vivian de Oliveira+++

vivian_oliveira58@hotmail.com

*Bacharel em Educação Fisica pelo UNIPLAN

Personal Trainer e Professor de musculação

na Academia Estação do Corpo

Treinador de Basquete no Clube Moveon

**Professor da Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, Departamento

de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde

Diretor de Esportes do CESEC (Centro de emancipação social e esportiva de cegos)

Graduado em Educação Física, Licenciatura Plena pela Universidade Nove de Julho

Mestre em Educação Física pela EEFE-USP

Doutor em Desenvolvimento Humano e Tecnologias pela UNESP

Pós-Doutorado pela UNESP - Rio Claro

***Professor Assistente Doutor da UNESP

Departamento de Educação Física / Faculdade de Ciências (DEF-FC),

em Regime de Dedicação Integral à Docência e à Pesquisa (RDIDP-40 horas)

Graduado em Educação Física pela (UNICAMP

Bacharelado em Treinamento em Esportes

e Licenciatura em Educação Física

Mestrado em Educação Física pela UNICAMP

na área de Pedagogia do Movimento

Doutorado em Educação Física e Sociedade

na Linha de Aspectos Psicológicos do Movimento Humano

Pós-doutoramento em “Autoeficácia, Motivação e Estados Emocionais”,

no Programa de Pós-Graduação de Desenvolvimento Humano e Tecnologias

Atualmente Professor Permanente do Programa (PPG DHT-UNESP RC)

Gestor e coordenador do Laboratório de Atividade Motora Adaptada,

Psicologia Aplicada e Pedagogia do Esporte (LAMAPPE/ Unesp Bauru- FC/DEF)

e o Grupo de Estudos, Extensão e Pesquisas em Psicologia

e Pedagogia do Esporte Adaptado (GEPPEA- Unesp Bauru)

+Doutorando do Programa de Pós-Graduação

em Desenvolvimento Humano e Tecnologia na UNESP

Mestre em Ciências da Motricidade pela UNESP

Pós-graduado em Tutoria em Educação a distância (UNILINS)

Pós-graduado em MBA Gestão em Ergonomia pelo CESUMAR

Pós-graduado em Atividade física personalizada e qualidade de vida

pela Escola Superior de Educação Física e Desportos de Catanduva (ESEFIC)

Graduado em Educação Física - Licenciatura Plena pela ESEFIC

Atualmente é docente no curso de graduação em Educação Física

do Centro Universitário Católico Auxilium Lins

++Professor Adjunto-A I do Departamento de Educação Física

da Faculdade de Educação Física da UFMT

Professor permanente do Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu

em Educação Física da UFMT (PPGEF-UFMT)

Graduado em Bacharelado e Licenciatura em Educação Física

Especialista em Treinamento Esportivo e Voleibol

Mestre e Doutor em Ciências do Esporte.

+++Bacharela em Educação Física pelo Instituto de Biociências da UNESP

Realizou intercâmbio acadêmico na Faculdade

de Motricidade Humana (Universidade de Lisboa) em Lisboa, Portugal

Cursando Ciências do Desporto. Mestra em Desenvolvimento Humano e Tecnologias

A atualmente cursando doutorado na UNESP

Membra do Laboratório de Atividade Motora Adaptada, Psicologia Aplicada

e Pedagogia do Esporte (LAMAPPE - Unesp Bauru)

Docente no curso de Educação Física do Centro Universitário IESB

(Brasil)

Reception: 02/17/2022 - Acceptance: 07/11/2022

1st Review: 06/02/2022 - 2nd Review: 07/05/2022

Accessible document. Law N° 26.653. WCAG 2.0

Suggested reference: Lacerda Júnior, N.J., Tertuliano, I.W., Venditti Junior, R., Silva Junior, O.T. da, Castro, H. de O., e Oliveira, V. de (2022). Any Level of Physical Activity Level Reduces Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Adults. Lecturas: Educación Física y Deportes, 27(292), 48-64. https://doi.org/10.46642/efd.v27i292.3402

 

Abstract

    The regular practice of physical activity can positively influence well-being and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. However, some studies indicate that a high level of activity practice can have a negative impact on mental health. So, this study aimed to verify the extent to which different levels of physical activity influence the incidence of anxiety, stress, and depression in Brazilian adults of both sexes. A total of 287 individuals participated in the study, answering the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short form) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). They were divided into four groups, considering the physical activity level: sedentary (n=23), irregularly active (n=35), active (n=88), and very active (n=141). The results show that, regarding the amount of practice and intensity of physical activities, the sedentary group (with little time per week in different dimensions of physical activity, such as walking and physical effort) was associated with higher scores of depression, anxiety, and stress. On the other hand, the same did not happen with the other groups. Thus, the results seem to suggest that there is an effect of the practice of physical activity on these variables, as sedentary individuals had higher scores for all dimensions. Furthermore, for the studied sample, any level of physical activity practice was associated with reduced anxiety, stress, and depression, with no differences found between irregularly active, active or very active individuals.

    Keywords: Sports Psychology. Mental health. Physical exercise. Physical inactivity. Health promotion.

 

Resumen

    La práctica regular de actividad física puede tener un efecto positivo en el bienestar y reducir los síntomas de estrés, ansiedad y depresión. Sin embargo, algunos estudios indican que un alto nivel de práctica puede tener un impacto negativo en la salud mental. Así, este estudio tuvo el objetivo de analizar en qué medida los diferentes niveles de actividad física influyen en la incidencia de ansiedad, estrés y depresión en adultos brasileños de ambos sexos. Un total de 287 personas participaron del estudio, respondiendo al Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Física (IPAQ-versión corta) y a la Escala de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés (DASS-21). Los participantes fueron divididos en cuatro grupos, considerando el nivel de actividad física: sedentarios (n=23), irregularmente activos (n=35), activos (n=88) y muy activos (n=141). Los resultados muestran que, considerando la cantidad de práctica y intensidad de actividades físicas, el grupo sedentario (con poco tiempo a la semana en diferentes dimensiones de la actividad física, como caminar y esfuerzo físico) se asoció con mayores puntuaciones de depresión, ansiedad y estrés. Por otro lado, lo mismo no sucedió con los otros grupos. Así, los resultados parecen sugerir que existe un efecto de la práctica de actividad física sobre estas variables, ya que los individuos sedentarios presentaron puntuaciones más altas en todas las dimensiones. Además, para la muestra estudiada, cualquier nivel de práctica de actividad física se asoció con una reducción de la ansiedad, del estrés y de la depresión, sin encontrar diferencias entre individuos irregularmente activos, activos o muy activos.

    Palabras clave: Psicología del Deporte. Salud mental. Ejercicio físico. Inactividad física. Promoción de la salud.

 

Resumo

    A prática regular de atividade física pode influenciar positivamente o bem-estar e reduzir os sintomas de estresse, ansiedade e depressão. No entanto, alguns estudos indicam que um alto nível de prática de atividade pode ter um impacto negativo na saúde mental. Assim, este estudo teve como objetivo verificar em que medida diferentes níveis de atividade física influenciam a incidência de ansiedade, estresse e depressão em adultos brasileiros de ambos os sexos. Participaram do estudo 287 indivíduos, respondendo ao Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física (IPAQ-versão curta) e à Escala de Depressão, Ansiedade e Estresse (DASS-21). Os participantes foram divididos em quatro grupos, considerando o nível de atividade física: sedentários (n=23), irregularmente ativos (n=35), ativos (n=88) e muito ativos (n=141). Os resultados mostraram que, em relação à quantidade de prática e intensidade de atividades físicas, o grupo sedentário (com pouco tempo por semana em diferentes dimensões da atividade física, como caminhada e esforço físico) foi associado a maiores escores de depressão, ansiedade e estresse. Por outro lado, o mesmo não aconteceu com os restantesgrupos. Assima, os resultados parecem sugerir que há efeito da prática de atividade física sobre essas variáveis, uma vez que indivíduos sedentários apresentaram escores mais elevados para todas as dimensões. Além disso, para a amostra estudada, qualquer nível de prática de atividade física foi associado à redução da ansiedade, estresse e depressão, não existindo diferenças entre indivíduos irregularmente ativos, ativos ou muito ativos.

    Unitermos: Psicologia do Desporto. Saúde mental. Exercício físico. Inatividade física. Promoção de saúde.

 

Lecturas: Educación Física y Deportes, Vol. 27, Núm. 292, Sep. (2022)

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Introduction 

 

    The regular practice of physical activity can positively influence the well-being of practitioners, that is, it can contribute to the improvement of physical, social, and psychological aspects (Figueiredo et al., 2021). Regarding the psychological dimension, the literature shows that the regular practice of physical activity can help to reduce the levels of both depression, stress and anxiety (Leão et al., 2018, Pascoe et al., 2020, Zhang et al., 2020), thus positively influencing the emotional well-being of practitioners. However, some studies indicate a high level of activity practice can have a negative impact on mental health, increasing depression, stress and anxiety. (Malm et al., 2019, Segato et al., 2010, Zanini et al., 2018)

 

    Depression is understood as a behavioral disorder, which can trigger low self-esteem, guilt, loss of pleasure and motivation, lack of interest, irritability or sadness, sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, difficulty concentrating and loss of energy (Gleitman et al., 2009). Leão et al. (2018) mention that depression is considered a multidimensional disorder, presenting itself as negative affectivity, influencing emotional well-being and affecting more than 5% of the Brazilian population.

 

Source: Pexels.com - Photo Andres Ayrton

 

    Anxiety, in turn, can be understood as a global apprehension related to the uncertainty of something that will occur (Gleitman et al., 2009). Furthermore, it may be related to somatic and cognitive aspects: the somatic aspects refer to changes in autonomic functions that is related to physiological aspects experienced by a person with anxiety; on the other hand, cognitive aspects refer to the components of thinking, such as negative thoughts (Spielberger, 1972). In sports, increasing cognitive and somatic anxiety has a negative impact of athlete’s performance. (Barreto et al., 2016)

 

    Stress, on the other hand, is understood as a psychological or physical strain that, associated with possible vulnerabilities, can lead people to mental disorders and, therefore, compromise their emotional well-being (Gleitman et al., 2009). The literature defines stress as a phenomenon that occurs when there is a substantial imbalance between some demand (physical and/or psychological), which is imposed on a person, and the person's responsiveness to that demand (Fletcher, & Scott, 2010). From a psychological point of view, some studies points the physical activity can reduce levels of stress (Awik et al., 2017; Schultchen et al., 2019). However, specially on elite sports, the physical exercise routine can increase psychological stress. (Gustafsson et al., 2017; Balbim et al., 2012)

 

    Physical activity can prevent or reduce depressive symptoms (Adamson et al., 2015; Maugeri et al., 2020; Pilipović-Spasojević et al., 2020; Schuch et al., 2016) by stimulating a series of neuroplastic processes involved in depression, as well as reducing inflammation and increasing resilience to oxidative stress and psychological (Kandola et al., 2019). Physical exercise, which is a planned, structured, repetitive physical activity with a specific objective (Caspersen et al., 1985), is found to be responsible for reducing the symptoms of people affected by disorders related to stress and anxiety. (Stubbs et al., 2017)

 

    However, exercise can also be associated with negative effects on health, as the occurrence of injuries (Schwellnus et al., 2020; Soligard et al., 2016) and the development of eating behavior disorders (Joy et al., 2016), which can lead to damage from the point of view of mental health. About injuries, for example, in adults, can lead to depression (Moreira et al., 2016). Malm et al. (2019) mention that these negative effects are more commonly found in elite sports, in which practitioners present high levels of physical activity.

 

    Thus, considering that the practice of physical activity can have a both positive (Adamson et al., 2015; Schuch et al., 2016; Stubbs et al., 2017) and negative (Schwellnus et al., 2020; Soligard et al., 2016; Joy et al., 2016; Moreira et al., 2016; Malm et al., 2019) effects on mental health, it is important to carry out studies that address different levels of physical activity and the influence on anxiety, stress, and depression.

 

    Given the above, the aim of this study was to verify to which extent different levels of physical activity can influence the incidence of anxiety, stress, and depression in Brazilian adults of both sexes. The principal hypothesis is that lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress will be found in active group when compared with sedentary, irregularly active and very active individuals.

 

Methods 

 

Study design 

 

    The study has a descriptive and exploratory nature, with a quantitative character (Thomas et al., 2012), and seeks to trace the relationship between the levels of physical activity presented by the participants with the incidence of anxiety, stress, and depression.

 

Participants 

 

    A total of 287 individuals participated in the study, with a mean age of 33.5 ± 11.4 years, being 95 (33%) female and 192 (67%) male. The recruitment was made by the online tools (social media, e-mail and communication apps) since the data collection was through and electronic form available for any interested during three months. The inclusion criteria adopted were: (i) being over 18 years of age; (ii) voluntarily agree to participate in the research, by accepting the Informed Consent Form. Were excluded those who did not complete the whole survey, considering that all instruments were associated in a single electronic form.

 

    The participants were divided in four groups according to their physical activity level, calculated from their responses to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short form): very active, active, irregularly active and sedentary.

 

Instruments 

 

International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short form) 

 

    To assess the levels of physical activity of the volunteers, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used, an instrument translated and validated for Brazil by Matsudo et al. (2001). The short version of the IPAQ (IPAQ-short version) was chosen due to its validity and reproducibility that are similar to the long version. (Matsudo et al., 2001)

The IPAQ-short version consists of six questions, which allow measuring the level of physical activity of individuals. For this, it is estimated the frequency and weekly time spent in performing physical activities of moderate and vigorous intensity, in addition to walking. The information collected allows classifying the respondent into: very active, active, irregularly active and sedentary. The information collected also allows defining the intensity of the activities performed (exertion intensity), which are defined by the quantification of metabolic expenditure (MET - metabolic equivalent of task) in minutes per week (METs-minutes/week). (Matsudo et al., 2001)

 

Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) 

 

    The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was developed to assess levels of depression, anxiety, and stress based on behaviors and sensations experienced by the individual, and was translated and validated for the Brazilian population by Vignola, & Tucci (2014).

 

    DASS-21 is a self-report instrument with 21 questions (items) that are answered by the participant, taking into account the experiences of the previous week. The questions are answered on a four-point Likert-type scale (from 0 to 3), as follows: 0 - Not applied at all; 1- It was applied to some degree, or for a short time; 2 - It was applied to a considerable degree, or for a good part of the time; 3 - It was applied a lot, or most of the time. The items are grouped in three emotional dimensions: depression, anxiety and stress.

 

Procedures 

 

    The present research was carried out following the rules of the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975 and revised in 2013, and in compliance with all ethical standards for research with human beings of the Brazilian National Health Council, Resolution 466/12. It was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Anhembi Morumbi University (São Paulo, Brazil) on September 16, 2021 under protocol #4.980.935 (CAAE: 50561021.9.0000.5492).

 

    All collections were made online, through a single electronic form created in Google Forms® software, and disclosed to participants through digital media. Data were collected in 2021. Upon accessing the form, the participant was directed to the Informed Consent Form, in which all research procedures and any risks or damages to the participants were presented, as well as the guarantee of anonymity of all information collected. Participant’s email address was collected in order to exclude possible duplicate responses. By confirming that they had read the terms and agreed to participate in the research, they were directed to the first research instrument, the IPAQ-short version and, subsequently, to the DASS-21. All responses were then organized in an electronic spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel®). Duplicate responses and participants who did not meet one or more inclusion criteria were excluded. Thereupon, the subjects were separated into groups, according to the classification proposed by the IPAQ-short version, and the calculation of the DASS-21 scores. Subsequently, the data were analyzed.

 

Data analysis 

 

    Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the study sample according to the level of physical activity and the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test and the Levene test were used to verify the normality and homogeneity of variance. As the data did not show normal distribution (p<.05) or homogeneity of variance (p<.05), data were reported as median (Md) and quartiles (Q1; Q3) and non-parametric tests were applied. To compare the levels of anxiety, stress, and depression between the groups (sedentary, irregularly active, active and very active) the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used, followed by the Dunn post hoc test. Subsequently, focusing on the aim of the study, an intragroup analysis was performed (sedentary, irregularly active, active and very active) using the Friedman test to analyze the differences between the variables depression, anxiety and stress. To verify which variable had the most effect for each group, the Wilcoxon post hoc was used. To control type 1 error, the sequential Holm de Bonferroni procedure was used. The statistical significance considered was p<.05 between comparison and the IBM SPSS® Statistics software was used for statistical tests.

 

Results 

 

    Table 1 shows the division of groups according to the participants' level of physical activity practice and the scores, in median and interquartile difference, of depression, anxiety, and stress levels for each group.

 

Variables		Physical Activity Level
		Sedentary n=23 (8%)	Irregularly active n=35 (12.2%)	Active n=88 (30.7%)	Very active n=141 (49.1%)
Total METs (minutes/week)	Mean ±  SD	4.1 ± 16.8	741.3 ± 1117.0	2377.6 ± 2035.9	5912.6 ± 6663.4
Depression	Percentile 25	8.0	2.0	2.0	.0
	Median	20.0	6.0	6.0	6.0
	Percentile 75	24.0	20.0	16.0	14.0
Anxiety	Percentile 25	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
	Median	18.0	6.0	6.0	4.0
	Percentile 75	22.0	12.0	13.0	10.0
Stress	Percentile 25	10.0	6.0	4.0	4.0
	Median	18.0	12.0	12.0	12.0
	Percentile 75	28.0	22.0	22.0	20.0

Source: Made by the authors

 

    Table 2 compares the variables of depression, anxiety and stress between groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there is an effect of the level of physical activity on depression [x² (2) = 13.585; p<.01] and anxiety [x² (2) = 13.839; p<.03]. In the post hoc test, it was possible to observe that depression and anxiety (p<.01) in the sedentary group had a significant difference with higher scores compared to the irregularly active, active and very active groups.

 

Variables DASS-21	Physical Activity Level
	Sedentary n=23 Median (IQ)	Irregularly active n=35 Median (IQ)	Active n=88 Median (IQ)	Very active n=141 Median (IQ)
Depression	20 (16)	6 (18)*	6 (14)*	6 (14)*
Anxiety	18 (20)	6 (10)*	6 (11,5)*	4 (8)*
Stress	18 (18)	12 (16)	12 (18)	12 (16)

*Significant difference with the sedentary group in the Kruskal-Wallis test. Source: Made by the authors

 

    In the inferential analysis of intragroup comparison, whose objective was to verify which variable of the DASS-21 psychometric scale had more effect, the Friedman test showed that there was no significant difference between the variables in the sedentary group [x² (3) = 3.444; p>.179].

 

    Regarding the irregularly active group, the Friedman test showed that there was a significant difference between the variables [x² (3) = 20.475; p<.001]. In view of the location of the difference, the post hoc used was the Wilcoxon, which showed a significant difference only between stress and depression (p<.002) and stress and anxiety (p<.001), but not between anxiety and depression (p>.103). These data demonstrate that depression and anxiety scores were lower when compared to stress.

 

    In the active and very active groups, the Friedman test showed that there was a significant difference between the variables [x² (3) = 37.123; p<.001] and [x² (3) = 70.253; p<.001], respectively. In view of the location of the difference, the post hoc used was the Wilcoxon, which showed a significant difference only between stress and depression (p<.001) and stress and anxiety (p<.001), but not between anxiety and depression (p>.056) in the active group and in the very active group there was also a significant difference only between stress and depression (p<.001) and stress and anxiety (p<.001), but not between anxiety and depression (p>.007). These data demonstrate that depression and anxiety scores were lower when compared to stress in both groups.

 

    In summary, the results show that there is an effect of the level of physical activity on depression and anxiety and that low levels of physical activity (sedentary) are associated with higher scores of depression, anxiety and stress (Table 2) in the study sample. This effect can be observed when comparing the groups according to the participants’ level of physical activity practice, where the sedentary group had higher scores on the DASS-21 for depression and anxiety when compared to other groups with higher levels of practice of physical activity (Table 2). Regarding the amount of practice and intensity of physical exercise, it was observed that the sedentary group with little time per week in different dimensions of physical activity, such as walking and physical exertion, did not show any difference in depression, anxiety, and stress scores. On the other hand, the same did not happen with the irregularly active, active and very active groups (intragroup comparison) which had lower scores for depression and anxiety.

 

Discussion 

 

    The aim of the present study was to verify the relationship between levels of physical activity on anxiety, depression, and stress in adults of both sexes. The results show that there is an effect of the level of physical activity on depression and anxiety, and that low levels of physical activity (sedentary) are associated with higher scores of depression, anxiety, and stress. This effect can be observed when comparing the groups according to the level of physical activity practice of the participants, where the sedentary group had higher scores on the DASS-21 for depression and anxiety when compared to other groups with higher levels of practice of physical activity (Table 2).

 

    Regarding the amount of practice and intensity of physical activity, it was observed the sedentary group (with little time per week in different dimensions of physical activity, such as walking and physical effort) was associated with higher scores of depression, anxiety and stress. On the other hand, the same did not happen with the irregularly active, active and very active groups. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to infer that there is a relationship between levels of anxiety, depression and stress with the practice of physical exercise, and that people with lower levels of physical activity present higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress.

 

    Pilipović-Spasojević et al. (2020) carried out a study whose objective was to determine the relationship between physical activity and stress, anxiety and depression in 408 female students between 19 and 22 years old, using the IPAQ-long and DASS-21. The results showed a significant negative correlation between physical activity and anxiety and depression, while to stress the correlation was low. On the contrary, the study of Dashti et al. (2014), carried out with 408 Iranian women with a mean age of 30.28 ± 11.07 years, showed a significant relationship between low level of physical activity (assessed by the IPAQ) with depression and stress, assessed using the DASS-21.These results differs partially of the present study, since its findings demonstrate relation between physical activity and the decrease of all studied variables (stress, anxiety and depression).

 

    Ramَn-Arbués et al. (2020) aimed to estimate the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and associated factors in a population of 1074 Spanish college students, with a mean age of 21.73 ± 5.12. The authors used the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). In general, the results showed a moderate prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. About the relationship of these symptoms with physical activity in the study, no clearly association with psychological distress was found. These results are different from those reached in the present study, and the difference may be explained by the variation of mean age of the samples used in the two studies, since Ramَn-Arbués et al. (2020) suggests that other factors may have a bigger impact on mental health to the young population that composed the sample of college students, such as those related to socialization.

 

    In addition, it is necessary to consider that the collections in this study were carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although each state and city in the country faced, at the same time, different situations with regard to the progression of the disease and the isolation measures adopted, this effect must be considered. Faced with the pandemic, people had to isolate themselves socially and, as a consequence, many people reduced their level of physical activity (Brech et al., 2020). In order to alleviate the physical and emotional consequences of reduced physical activity, many health professionals, especially Physical Education professionals, proposed the implementation of remote physical activity practices. (Brech et al., 2020)

 

    Thus, given this scenario, Stanton et al. (2020) sought to investigate the association of psychological stress with behavioral changes caused by COVID-19 in Australia. A total of 1491 adults, with a mean age of 50.5 ± 14.9 years, responded to the study instruments, which included the DASS-21. The results showed that participants who showed negative changes in the practice of physical activities were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. In Italy, Maugeri et al. (2020) investigated, during the quarantine period, 2524 individuals of different age groups, and found evidence of the positive impact of the practice of physical activities on the mental health of individuals, through the development of self-esteem, resistance to stress and reduction of depression and anxiety, stating that the reduction in the total time of physical activity has a negative impact on the psychological health and well-being of the population.

    

    An interesting fact pointed out by the results of the present study is that any level of physical activity practice was enough to reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. This means that, considering these variables, there is no difference between the individual being irregularly active, active or very active. Besides, from a practical point of view, a minimal amount of physical activity is already capable of promoting improvements in the mental health of practitioners.

 

    In this sense, Pengpid, & Peltzer (2019) made a study with adults with chronic diseases separated into three groups (low, moderate and high physical activity levels) and found that moderate to high physical activity decreased the odds for anxiety and depression. Liao et al. (2016), studying 2.194 adults separated the sample into three groups according to physical activity levels (none, insufficient, and sufficient) and found a relationship between the sufficient level with a lower risk of depressive symptoms, concluding that meeting physical activity's recommendation is a good strategy to decrease the symptoms.

 

    As a limitation, this study was unable to determine a maximum level of physical activity that would still bring such benefits, which is a question to be investigated in future studies. Another consideration to make is that the data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could interfere in people’s mental health and/or physical activity routine. Also, it must to be considered that data was collected by online tools, and the study did not make age differentiation.

 

Conclusion 

 

    There is an effect of the practice of physical activity on depression and anxiety, as sedentary individuals had higher scores of depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, for the study sample, any level of physical activity practice was associated with reduced anxiety, stress, and depression, with no differences between groups. The first hypothesis of the study was partially confirmed, since all groups associated with physical activity presented lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress when compared with the sedentary group.

 

Practical applications 

 

    From a scientific point of view, the findings of this study produce knowledge about import themes of the sport’s psychology: depression, anxiety, stress and physical activity. Given the importance of knowing more of these subjects, especially considering the pandemic and post-pandemic scenario, when the mental health of a lot of people was affected, the results of this study can also help coaches, gym instructors, physical education teachers and other professionals to convince people to adopt a more active life, helping also in their strategies to motivate and inform them, especially the beginners or sedentary ones. To people in general, these results can also help to motivate them to put some physical exercise in their lives, even if they can’t do a lot of it, since any amount of exercise seems to be enough to reduce depression, anxiety and stress, impacting their well-being.

 

References 

 

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Lecturas: Educación Física y Deportes, Vol. 27, Núm. 292, Sep. (2022)