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"Students Moving Together": A Qualitative Study of Tailored Group Exercise for Students Facing Mental Health
Kjersti Karoline Danielsen1, Diella Rexha1, Silje Halvorsen Sveaas1
1Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.
Background:
The rise in mental health challenges in university students is of increasing concern, with the accompanying increased demand for services. Physical activity demonstrates potential as a tool to alleviate said demand. Hence the aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of tailored group exercise among students facing mental health challenges.
Methods:
Eleven university students aged 20-39 years who were facing mental health challenges, participated in a pilot study with 10 weeks of supervised group exercise tailored to their mental health, physical fitness, and function, were included in this qualitative study with semistructured in-depth interviews. Interviews were analyzed using systematic text condensation.
Results:
The analysis resulted in 5 themes describing the students' experiences with the tailored group exercise: (1) resistance in advance; (2) social belonging and community; (3) the instructor as sweet and sour; (4) better mental health, joy, and something "to go to;" and (5) a desire to continue the intervention and exercising.
Conclusions:
Tailored group exercise was experienced as difficult to enter and attend prior to the start, yet manageable for students facing mental health challenges. Group exercise under the supervision of a competent instructor provided the students with a sense of belonging and enhanced their self-efficacy for exercise. The new experience seemed to have changed the participants' attitudes and motivation to exercise, as well as improved their mental health and structure of their day. Insight into these experiences is important when planning exercise interventions for students facing mental health challenges.
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Exercise Stress Test
Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes