IMPACT OF PHYSICAL EXERCISING ON RELIEF OF STRESS AMONG STUDENTS   -   AN ANALYTICAL  STUDY.

Dr Rajan Mathew,  Ph.D

Associate Professor/Director

of  Physical Education,

Govt. College Of Arts Science

and  Commerce, Quepem, Goa.

Pin Code: 403 705 India.

Email: rajanmathew2015@gmail.com

 

 

ABSTRACT:

 

Today’s professionals have a tough time in maintaining work-life balance.  This leads to stress

and  tension which in turn impact health.   Generally  speaking,  there has been  a spike in  life

expectancy. The quality of life of the aging population is a cause for concern.

The paper advocates a moderate diet and exercise programme to meet the goal of a healthy life.

 The old proverbs does advice that “Health is Wealth”.

This paper looks at various ways to accurate wealth in health.

 

Key words: Diet, Exercise, Stress, Breath.

 

INTRODUCTION:

One of the reasons for the mental lift is certainly the common emphasis on self – improvement. Just as food is necessary for our bodies, achievement and rewards are a necessity  for healthy egos. Sometimes it is a challenge to satisfy this ‘mental hunger’ within the confines of the domestic environment. Exercise and sports can provide a unique opportunity for finding achievement and rewards.

Most people associate exercise with just muscle development, not thinking of what it can do mentally. Dr William Morgan, a sports psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, has recorded evidence that regular exercise can ‘lift the spirits’. His active subjects report a better physical self –image and claim everything ‘feel better’.

For example, you may begin an activity such as jogging or swimming at the minimal levels of  half a km or three pool lengths, and feel exhausted at the end of each session. Within a few weeks of regular participation, however, you can see and feel tremendous improvement in your capacity. Your jog becomes a strong and steady 3 km run or now, you swim ten pool lengths and climb out unwinded.

Another way exercise improves mental fitness is by helping people cope with the stress in their lives. Stress creates internal feelings of anxiety and muscular  tension. Learning how to relax affected muscles is one of the important prerequisites for reducing stress.  People have been reaching for tranquilizers to deal with stressful times; but now there is scientific evidence that regular exercise can be more powerful than drugs.

 

LITERATURE REVIEW:

1. Jackson, Erica M (2013) in one of their research study Highlighted the role of exercise in Stress management and also stated that not all type of stress and “Distress”, meaning negative stress. The study also stated that the stress influences behaviors that affect health, diet choices, sleep habits and drugs used. The study recommended yoga as important exercise for stress management.

2. Matthew A and Rajita Sinha (2015) reported a study based on an extensive literature survey, with regards to the influence of stress indicator of physical activity and exercise. The literature search found 168 studies that varied widely in their theoretical orientate and included perceived stress, distress life events, job strain, Role strain and work family conflict.

 

3.  Eze WU  (2015) has identified Stress management in sports simply by reducing the negative conflict of stress and to control your emotion. All the competitive sports has some sought of stress. Therefore it must be realized that coping with stress in  all the competitive sports is more of cognitive function that is  mental and body control. Therefore it asses to ensure that in practice, the athletes are using correct technique to overcome stress of competition.

 

IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM:

The foregoing literature review indicates that although there are studies done abroad in the exercise or Physical Activities, a very limited number of studies are available in India which reflect the relationship of Stress relief and sports or physical exercise with respect to the college students. Thus the present study explores the facts related to the same.

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

1. To highlight the benefits of regular physical exercise on health and fitness.
2. To study the influence  of regular exercise on relieving stress and tension of the students based on their perception.

 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

In order to study the above mentioned objectives, following research methodology has been adopted.

*A purposive sampling technique has been used for the study and the primary data has been collected from a sample of 63 respondents who are the students at graduation level of Goa University.

*The selected sample comprise 38 Male and 25 female students with an average age of 18.76 years having an average height of 1.60 Cm and average weight of 55.48 K.gs.

* A well structured questionnaire was used in order to collect the data from the selected sample of students. The study also relied upon secondary sources of information such as journals, reference books and the electronic media.

* The collected primary data has been analyzed  using Factor Analysis and Regression analysis in addition to descriptive statistics. The software used for statistical data analysis is SPSS (2.2)

* As a partial  requirement to the present quantitative research, a hypothesis has been framed and tested. The hypothesis (Null) states as under:

HO: There is no significant impact of regular physical exercise on relief of stress & tension.

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

The present study highlights the perception of the students with reference to the participation in sports. It is an attempt to understand whether an active participation of students in sports activities relieves the stress and tension level of the students.

 

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION:

The data, before it is been analysed has been tested fore its reliability by using Chronbach’s Alpha test of reliability. The value of Chronbach’s  alpha is found to be 0.784 fore 12 variables that are used in the further analysis. The reliability value is within the acceptable limits and the rates the data to be reliable for further analysis. This reliability value is within the acceptable limits and rates the data to be reliable for further analysis.

 

A total 11 variables indicating students perception on participation in sports, have been used in a factor Analysis. The KMO test has been done on these 11 variables to check the adequancy of the sample for factor analysis. KMO value obtained is 0.776, which is significant at 1% level of significance, indicating the selected sample of study to be adequate for the analysis.

 

Three factors have been obtained from 11 variables used in factor analysis. These 3 factors are explaining a total variance of 56.45% with reference to the perception of the students on sports participation reducing stress level.

 

Following Table shows the factors obtained through Factor Analysis.

Table 1: Factors showing the perception of students on participation in sports

Variables		Component
		1	2	3
Confidence    Active    Goal Oriented    Concentration    Mental Fitness    Depression    Personality      Anxiety    Life Span	.786                    .748                    .736		.699                   .642                   .572                  .515	.832               .571

 

Table 2 Total Variance: Empowerment of determination, building will power.

Improvement   of  Life  Span.

Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings
Factor	Total	% of variance	Cumulative %
1. Empowerment of determination.   2. Building will power.   3. Improvements of life span.	2.306   2.163   1.741	20.965   19.662   15.823	20.965   40.626   56.450

 

 

The obtained factors have been named as under:-

             A)    Empowerment determination.

             B)    Building will power.

             C)    Improvements of life span.

 

The first factor which states:

1. Building Confidence.
2. Makes Students active.
3. Make students Goal Oriented.

Explains  20.96% of variance.

 

The second factor namely, Building will Power explains 19.66% of variance and comprises of :

1. Concentration of mind
2. Builds Mental Fitness
3. Overcomes Sadness & Depression.
4. Improves personality.

 

The third factor named as Improvement of Life Span, explains 15.82% of variance and states that,

1. Control Anxiety & Fear.
2. Improves   Life Span.

 

The above three factors have been used to test the hypothesis:

HO: There is no significant impact of regular physical exercise on relief of stress & tension.

The above hypothesis is tested using Linear  Regression  Analysis. The results of which is shown in table No. 3

 

Table 3 : Regression Analysis is to test above hypothesis (HO)

Dependent Variable: Relief of Stress and Tension. R2 : 0.289 F: 7.852 P. Value: 0.000 Significant at 1%.
Independent Variables	Unstandardized Beta	T. Value	Significance
Factor 1: Empowerment of Determination Factor 2: Building Will Power Factor 3: Improves Life Span	0.358 0.199 0.028	4.233 2.344 0.329	0.000 0.023 0.744

 

 From the above table, it may be interpreted that out of three factors .

 Factor 1  i.e. Empowerment of Determination and Factor 2 i.e. Building Will Power, significantly influence the students perception that, participation in sports relieves the overall stress level. However, the Factor 3, namely Improves Life Span does not significantly contribute towards reducing the Stress Level of the students.

 Therefore, the Null hypothesis is rejected and it can be concluded that there is significant Impact of  Regular Physical Exercise on relief of Stress and Tension of the Students, with Regards to Empowerment of Determination and Building Will Power.

CONCLUSION:

All health professionals will agree that  exercise does  relieve stress & tension through  a combined programme of moderate diet and moderate exercise. Therefore, exercise habits should be maintained year- round, year after year, if you want to reap the benefits. No matter! The important thing is that you EXERCISE – and above all,  ‘Have fun!’

Stress   is preventable and only the well informed can prevent it.

 

REFERENCES:

 

1. Jackson, Erica M (2013), Stress relief: The role of exercise in stress management, ACSM’s   

     Health and fitness Journal, May –June 2013, Volum 17, Issue 3.

2. Matthew A., Rajita  Sinha  (2015),  The Effects of Stress on  Physical Activity & Exercise,  

    Sports  Medicine  (Auckland, N.Z) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

3.Eze WU The strategies for sports coach in managing stressful situations in sports competitions.  

    International Journal of Current Research and Academic Review, 2015; 3(6):  298-304.