The effect of a 10-week swimming exercise program on emotional state in female sport sciences students

University students may experience a range of academic, social, and psychological stressors that can negatively affect emotional wellbeing. Although physical exercise is widely recognized as beneficial for mental health, evidence regarding the emotional effects of structured swimming programs in specific university subgroups remains limited. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 10-week structured swimming exercise program on emotional wellbeing, assessed through happiness and hopelessness levels, in female students enrolled in a Faculty of Sport Sciences. This study used an experimental pretest-posttest control group design. A total of 42 female students aged 18-22 years were randomly assigned to a Swimming Exercise Group (n = 21) or a Control Group (n = 21). The Swimming Exercise Group participated in a supervised swimming program twice per week for 10 weeks, whereas the Control Group maintained their usual routines without any structured exercise intervention. Emotional status was assessed before and after the intervention using the Beck Hopelessness Scale and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire-Short Form. Data were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA, and effect sizes were calculated using partial eta squared (η² p). The results revealed significant group × time interaction effects for both hopelessness and happiness (p < 0.05). Hopelessness decreased significantly in the Swimming Exercise Group, whereas no meaningful change was observed in the Control Group (η² p = 0.30). In contrast, happiness increased significantly only in the Swimming Exercise Group, with a large effect size (η² p = 0.41). A 10-week structured swimming exercise program was associated with statistically significant improvements in self-reported emotional wellbeing in female sport sciences students. However, these findings should be interpreted within the context of a relatively homogeneous, physically active, and non-clinical sample, and should not be generalized to the broader university student population. Swimming may represent a promising supportive exercise modality in similar student groups, although further research is needed in more diverse university populations.