Swimming classes as campus blue space: a qualitative study of emotion regulation, social support and psychological...

This qualitative study explores how university swimming classes are perceived by students as a campus blue-space setting for stress adjustment, emotion regulation, social support, and resilience-oriented coping. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 first- and second-year undergraduates enrolled in compulsory physical education swimming classes at one private and one public university in Southwest China. Thematic analysis generated five contextually linked themes: academic and campus-life stress created demand for low-stigma recovery; water immersion, buoyancy, muffled sound, blue visual field, and rhythmic breathing were perceived to redirect attention from study-related rumination; peer encouragement and teacher reassurance fostered a socially safe learning climate; mastering fear, breathing, and stroke coordination was described as a resource for coping with academic and interpersonal challenges; and crowding, body exposure, assessment pressure, and facility conditions constrained restorative experiences. Rather than establishing causal effects, the study identifies participants' perceived pathways and boundary conditions. The findings position campus swimming as a hybrid blue-space practice in which water-based affordances, physical activity, and relational pedagogy intersect. Implications are discussed cautiously for university physical education, student mental health promotion, and inclusive blue-space design.