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Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

Abstract

College students are consistently at risk for depressive behaviors during a major time of habit transition (i.e., a time of gaining autonomy while developing their own lifestyle and health habits) and gaining in independence; this is met with only half of them not engaging in at least moderately vigorous exercise (Catellier 2013; Powell, 2019). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of types of exercise (cardio, weightlifting, and yoga/pilates) that undergraduate college students voluntarily engaged in on their subjective current and general happiness levels. There were 52 participants in the study, all undergraduates at the University of South Carolina. 88.2% were female, 9.8% were male, and 2% did not respond. The data were captured on a self-reported survey over the course of 8 weeks. Results showed no significant correlation between types of exercise linking to either current or general happiness analyses. However, findings did conclude a small positive correlation between hours exercised per day per week and current happiness levels, in that those who exercised for one hour, 2.33 days or more, per week were happier at their current state. Future research with a more well-rounded sample of sexes and ages and a more systematic measure of the variables would lead to greater understanding of the effects of exercise on college students’ mental well-being.

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