Physical exercise and alternative medicine in the management of anxiety, depression, and stress in university students
Keywords:
anxiety, depression, stress, physical exercise, alternative medicineAbstract
Introduction: Anxiety, depression, and stress frequently affect university students. Given this situation, physical exercise and alternative medicine are proposed as accessible and effective strategies to improve mental health. Methods: A bibliographic review based on the PRISMA method was conducted, including studies from 2021 on exercise, yoga, tai chi, and meditation in university students. Fourteen articles were selected based on methodological quality criteria. Results: Most studies showed that these practices significantly reduce anxiety and depression, especially when applied at least three times a week for 8 to 12 weeks. Some studies did not find a significant relationship, attributable to methodological differences. Discussion: The systematic review demonstrates that physical and respiratory exercise, as well as alternative medicine therapies (yoga, tai chi, mindfulness, taijiquan) regulate biomarkers such as cortisol, improve emotional well-being, and constitute the most effective strategies for managing anxiety, depression, and stress in university students. Conclusions: Physical exercise and alternative therapies are effective, accessible, and low-cost for reducing anxiety, depression, and stress in college students and should be integrated into college mental health programs.
References
Arredondo N., H. L., Restrepo L., C. C., Rojas Z., B. (2021). Depresión y ansiedad en estudiantes que ingresan a la universidad y factores de estrés asociados. Revista Psico-logía e Saúde, 13(4).
Barrera Montenegro, G., Cuevas Trujillo, M. P., Espinosa Rojas, T., Miranda Flores, D., Flores Ferro, E., Monrroy Montecinos, K. (2022). Relationship of physical activity and physical exercise with academic stress in Physical Education and Kinesiology stu-dents from Chile. Revista Educación Física Chile, (275).
Chen, B., Yang, T., Xiao, L., Xu, C. y Zhu, C. (2023). Efectos de la Meditación Mindfulness Móvil en la Salud Mental de Estudiantes Universitarios: Revisión Siste-mática y Meta-análisis. Journal of Medical Internet Research; 25: p. E39128.
Chen, P., Mazalan, N. S., Koh, D., Gu, Y. (2025). Effect of exercise intervention on anxiety among college students: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology; 16:1536295.
Escobar-Domingo, M. J. et al. (2021). Relación entre la disminución del estrés acadé-mico y la práctica de yoga en estudiantes de las áreas de la salud: revisión de la litera-tura. Univ. Med., 62(4).
Jian, C. D., Liu, Z. Z., Huang, J., Wu JS, Tao J. (2021). Efectos del ejercicio aeróbico, los ejercicios tradicionales chinos y la meditación sobre los síntomas depresivos de los estudiantes universitarios: un metanálisis de ensayos controlados aleatorios. Medicine Baltimore, 100(1).
Martínez-Álvarez, M., et al. (2020). Relación entre la disminución del estrés académi-co y la práctica yoga en estudiantes de las áreas de la salud. Revisión de la literatura. Universitas Médica, 61(3), 1-15.
Ramírez, K. (2021). El 20% de los estudiantes universitarios sufre ansiedad y el 25% depresión. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE)..
Rodríguez, D., Martínez, K., Rivas, C., Rodríguez, L., Cáceres, P. M., Ojeda, I. M. (2022). Physical exercise and stress and in students of a private university, Chile. Re-vista de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; 8(1), 68-78.
Romero González, K. L. (2024). Physical exercise in the treatment of depression in university students. Revista de Investigación Educativa y Deportiva, III(8).
Wunsch, K., Fiedler, J., Bachert, P. y Woll, A. (2021). The Tridirectional Relationship among Physical Activity, Stress, and Academic Performance in University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Re-search and Public, 13(4), 123-138.
Zhihao Du, X. Z., Qin, H., Wang, R., Bai, Y., Yao, X. (2022). META analysis on the effect of taijiquan on improving negative psychological symptoms of college students and the optimal dose. Frontiers in Public Health, 10:1032266.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dafne Anahí Chancusig Casa, Miguel Angel González Tarqui, Carlos Daniel Albán Villegas, Lizbeth Geovanna Silva Guayasamín, Lisbeth Josefina Reales Chacon
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content, based on the principle that offering the public free access to research helps a greater global exchange of knowledge. Each author is responsible for the content of each of their articles.
Universidad de Oriente 