The effect of the Aerobic, Non-aerobic and Relaxation Exercises on Anxiety and Stress among Female Students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences

Background: The purpose of this study was to study the effects of aerobic, non-aerobic and relaxation exercises on reducing anxiety and stress in female students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on female students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences during the academic year 2016-2017. A total of 60 students were randomly divided into the three groups (n=20) of aerobic exercise, non-aerobic exercise and relaxation and exposed to 8 weeks training programs (3 sessions a week with a minimum of 45 minutes). Before and after the intervention, subjects were asked to fill out the anxiety and stress questionnaire (DASS-21) that the validity and reliability of its Persian version had been previously confirmed. One-way ANOVA was used to test the study hypotheses. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 software. Results: Between the three groups of aerobic exercise, non-aerobic exercise and relaxation there were significant differences in the rates of stress reduction (P≤0.01), and anxiety (P≤0.05). Stress and anxiety had become less in the aerobic and relaxation groups. Conclusion: Relaxation and aerobic exercise activities can reduce stress and anxiety in students. Keywords: Physical activity, Relaxation, Female, Anxiety, Stres