This study investigated the effects of exercise participation on negative emotions in young women, with a particular focus on the mediating role of emotion regulation self-efficacy. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 53 female college students, who were assigned to a yoga group, a running group, or a no-exercise control group. The intervention lasted for eight weeks and consisted of a structured fitness yoga program and regular running sessions. Anxiety and depression were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale, and emotion regulation self-efficacy was measured with the Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale. The results showed that both the yoga group and the running group exhibited significant reductions in anxiety and depression compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, emotion regulation self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between exercise participation and negative emotions. Exercise participation significantly predicted higher emotion regulation self-efficacy, which in turn significantly predicted lower levels of anxiety and depression, and the indirect effects were statistically significant (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that regular participation in yoga or running can effectively alleviate negative emotions in female college students, and that enhancing emotion regulation self-efficacy may be an important psychological mechanism underlying the mental health benefits of exercise.

Zhou Tian, Fang Luoning, Xue Xiang, Gao Jinxia. Exercise Participation and Negative Emotions among Young Women: A Randomized Trial of the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Self-Efficacy. Frontiers in Sport Research (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 6: 50-60. https://doi.org/10.25236/FSR.2025.070608.

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