The Role of Physical Activity in

Managing Stress: A Thematic Analysis

1. Introduction

Stress is a world-wide problem that impacts mental health and wellbeing and its presence is associated with maladaptive physiological and psychological responses to stressors. If left unaddressed, chronic stress might lead to severe pathologies with a profound impact on mortality. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective interventions to improve the burden and perception of stress, and to prevent the development of chronic stress-related physical and mental disorders (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2013). Recent findings indicate that physical activity is a promising intervention for stress management. Exercise might have positive impacts on psychological and physiological responses to stress, and might reduce stress through peripheral endocrine mechanisms (eg, cortisol) as well as central nervous system mechanisms (eg, the release of endorphins) (Jin, 1992; Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2013).

Although these findings may suggest that physical activity can in general be a beneficial tool for managing stress, there are major gaps in our knowledge about which specific types of physical activity are most beneficial. Many studies on being physically active and experiencing stress do not distinguish between types, which could potentially have varying effects on a person's stress (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2013). The purpose of this study was to evaluate which specific physical activities are of the most value in stress management, and whether there are certain activities which may offer greater benefits in reducing stress.

2. Background

The link between PA and stress-reduction is well-documented from a physiological and psychological standpoint. There are many reasons why exercise is considered a great stress-reliever, including the impact it has on our body's stress hormones. Physical activity has been shown to decrease stress hormones such as cortisol, often referred to as the 'stress hormone', while also increasing the release of endorphins, the brain chemicals that help our body and mind feel good (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2013; Jin, 1992).

Physiological studies highly emphasise that physical activity alleviates mental health outcomes by moderating physiological stress responses. Daily physical activity improves heart rate variability - a physiological indicator of stress resilience - through increasing parasympathetic activity and decreasing sympathetic activity, which are indications of a relaxed state (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2013). Aerobic exercises such as running or swimming are additionally associated with reducing depression and anxiety, suggesting that the intensity of physical activity is related to the benefits for one's mental health (Anderson & Shivakumar, 2013).

However, the existing literature reveals significant limitations in terms of specificity. And although the broad value of exercise is well-established, the specific kinds, durations and intensities of exercise that are best for relieving stress are poorly defined. Most studies group all physical activity indicators together without calling out which modes might be better (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2013). This lack of discrimination is a major omission in the literature, since it's not

necessarily the case that all forms of exercise will be equally effective for stress reduction. For example, benefits to mental health outcomes are often cited in conjunction with aerobic exercise, but the evidence for other forms such as resistance training or flexibility training (eg, yoga) is less clear and should be examined more closely (Paluska & Schwenk, 2000).

This gap highlights the need for more research into the specific ways in which different types of physical activities affect stress and mental health. There is an urgent need for studies that not only confirm the general stress-reduction benefits of different types of exercise, but also look at how differences in exercise type, frequency, duration and intensity affect the mental effects of exercise. This level of detail is crucial to developing exercise recommendations that can be tailored to the specific needs of individuals looking to effectively manage their stress.

3. Aims/Hypotheses

• The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between different types of physical activity and stress reduction.

• It is hypothesised that regular aerobic exercise at moderate intensities (such as brisk walking or swimming) will result in reduced perceived stress relative to being sedentary.

4. Samples and Methods

Secondary Data Source and Selection

Thematic analysis will be the primary analytical method of the study, where it will try to identify themes dealing with stress dealing. It will be informed by research conducted in the same area, and will address a multitude of perspectives towards stressful experiences, pinpointing coping strategies used to deal with it. By reviewing findings of already existing studies, it will identify the most prominent themes in stress-dealing among individuals with different fitness levels, and will draw conclusions about effective stress-dealing practices.

Thematic Analysis

Themes and patterns emerging from this qualitative data related to how physical activity helps to reduce stress will be extracted using thematic analysis. This qualitative analysis will help us explore the quantitative data in depth and provide further insights into how participants' perceived stress depends on the type and frequency of physical activity. The codes will be developed throughout the analysis to accommodate themes that emerge from respondents' answers.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Criteria Inclusion Exclusion

Age Adults aged 18-65 years Individuals under 18 or over 65 years

Data Source Studies with data on physical activity levels and stress measurements Studies without specific data on physical activity or stress levels

Stress Measurement Data must include validated stress measurement tools (e.g., Perceived Stress Scale) Studies using non-validated or undefined stress assessment methods

Physical Activity Measurement Studies that define and measure physical activity (e.g., frequency, type, duration) Studies with vague or no specific details on physical activity parameters

Health Status Participants identified as experiencing moderate stress Data from individuals with severe psychiatric disorders unless the focus is specifically on stress management

Study Type Peer-reviewed research articles and surveys Editorials, commentaries, and reviews without original data

Publication Date Studies published within the last 20 years to ensure relevance Studies older than 20 years unless they provide seminal data or unique insights

Language Studies published in English Non-English studies unless translations are available

Availability Publicly available datasets or data accessible through academic institutions Restricted or proprietary data sets not accessible for analysis

Analytical Approach

Thematic analysis will be conducted in several stages:

• Familiarisation with the data through reading and re-reading the dataset to understand the depth and breadth of the content.

• Generating initial codes by systematically coding interesting features of the data across the entire dataset.

• Searching for themes by collating codes into potential themes and gathering all data relevant to each potential theme.

• Reviewing themes to ensure they form a coherent pattern and are representative of the dataset.

• Defining and naming themes which involves ongoing analysis to refine the specifics of each theme and the overall story the data tells.

• Producing the report where the analysis is compiled and presented, supported by vivid data extracts.

Risks and Bias

The main risk in secondary data analysis is the issue of interpretation bias, that is ‘where the analyst’s interpretation can affect both the coding of the data and the development of the themes’. To avoid this, we will first validate the themes with multiple analysts to ensure objectivity and reliability of the findings.

5. Ethics

Participant Information and Consent

Participants will be informed of the reasons and purposes of the research, the procedures followed, the potential risks and benefits of participation, and information about other aspects of the process of the research. This information is included in an informed consent form that participants are asked to sign before entering the study. The form will describe the details of the physical activities during the training and the psychological or physical risks. It will explain that the data collected would be confidential and can only be used for research purposes. Participants will also be informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. (Manti & Licari, 2018; Tremaine et al., 2005)

Withdrawal and Data Management

At any time during the study, participants can withdraw their consent and will be removed from the study. Data that is collected during the study and transferred to the analysis will be excluded if requested. All data will be anonymised and securely saved on an encrypted remote server. This data will only be accessible for persons with the necessary permissions and will be deleted after the retention period is over (Tremaine et al., 2005).

GDPR Compliance

The study will ensure a complete compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including: • explicit consent for the collection and processing of data;• the quality of the personal data and its accuracy;and • the implementation of appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect data. The study’s compliance with GDPR will be overseen by the appointed Data Protection Officer, whose task would be to monitor all the aspects of the study in line with relevant legislation, including GDPR (Lalova-Spinks et al., 2022).

6. Future Perspectives

These findings could also affect society through improved stress-management strategies that incorporate physical activity. Practitioners might be more inclined to build physical activity recommendations into routine protocols for stress management, ultimately reducing healthcare costs for individuals with stress-related illnesses.

Understanding which types of physical activities are effective could potentially inform future guidelines on stress-management interventions to make them more personalised and effective. As a result, the adoption of physical activity programmes tailored to the individual can increase, thereby improving societal health and productivity.

Future investigations should elucidate how sustained moderate- to high-intensity physical activity might aid in reducing stress over longer periods of time, and how the optimal forms of physical activity vary across different age groups and cultural backgrounds. Exploring the mechanisms through which physical activity reduces stress might also allow us to refine the interventions, enhancing their effectiveness and resulting in greater health benefits (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2013; Kandola et al., 2018). Further research might also delve into the integration of technology such as wearable devices to monitor and encourage physical activity that can be employed to enhance the efficacy of these interventions in real-world settings.