EXERCISE TRAINING AND REDUCTION OF ANXIET Y IN A YOUNG-POPULATION

The effects of regular physical exercise on four measures of self-repo rted anxiety were examined. Fe male and male undergraduates were rando mly assigned to a physical training (3-one hour sessions for 12 weeks) or a waiting list control condition. The two groups were comparable i n objective measures of physical capacity and skills, cardio-respirato ry fitness and biochemical parameters at the beginning of the study. T here was a reduction in three of the four anxiety measures (trait anxi ety, psychosomatic symptoms and tension) in the training group, in com parison with the control group. No effects were observed on test anxie ty.