Effects of Aerobic Fitness Training on Psychological Functioning

An attempt was made to assess the effects of aerobic fitness training on the psychological functioning of college females. The experimental group, comprised of students enrolled in an aerobic dance class, was compared with a control group comprised of students enrolled in a jazz class. All subjects received a battery of physical and psychological tests before and after the respective 12-week exercise course. The psychological tests included state and trait measures of depression, hostility (MAACL) and anxiety (STAI), A retrospective questionnaire was also included. Physical measures of fitness included: 1) Cooper\u27s 12-Minute run (analyzed by fitness category and distance covered), 2) resting heart rate and 3) systolic and diastolic blood pressure. ANCOVA analysis revealed one significant finding. The experimental group had a significant increase in fitness category, F (1, 26)=4.058, p \u3c .05) when compared with the control group. Results on the other measures did not support the hypothesis of decrease in negative mood (depression, hostility, and anxiety) as a function of increased physical fitness. Consistent trends are discussed