THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECREATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECREATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY
Gundega Ulme, Behnam Boobani, Juris Grants, Edgars Bernans
Latvian Academy of Sport Education
Address: 333 Brivibas Street, Riga, LV-1006, Latvia
E-mail: Gundega.Ulme@lspa.lv, Behnam.Boobani@lspa.lv,
Inta.Bula@lspa.lv, Juris.Grants@lspa.lv, Edgars.Bernans@lspa.lv

Physical activity is associated with better mental health, but the literature does not distinguish which types of activity (e.g. recreational versus other types) are more strongly associated with better mental health. Physical activity has benefits for reducing levels of anxiety. However, factors that affect physical activity participation for individuals with anxiety disorders have not been well studied. Anxiety should be seen as a complex, heterogeneous phenomenon. Spielberger et al. have emphasized that anxiety can be conceptualized in two ways, as a stable disposition and as a transient emotional state that everyone experiences from time to time. Both trait and state anxieties have been conceptualized as unitary constructs. Here, we aimed to clarify the roles of state and trait anxiety in physical activity participation by examining relationships among four major study variables in Latvian adults. Materials and methods, Instruments. Method: 31 Latvian adults (in age 27-58) were evaluated. An exclusion criterion was practicing leisure time physical exercises. Respondents were measured 4 times within 2 years. After excluding from the sample only 17 were used to process the results. State-Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI-S and STAI-T), (The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) (Spielberger, Gorsuch, & Lushene, 1970) and check list about recreational physical activities. Results: Changes were evaluated 4 times within 2 years The results do not show statistically significant reduction of the level of the trait anxiety of STAI-Y (p<.05) related to frequency and type of recreational physical activity. Conclusions: there is significantly less research about the effects of physical activity on anxiety. As a consequence, there is not enough evidence to draw conclusive connections between exercise and anxiety is not enough evidence to draw conclusive connections between exercise and anxiety. Limitations: The use of self-rating measures which bears the risk of an under- or overestimation of symptoms.