A Study on the Influence of Physical Exercise on College Students’ Psychological Resilience

Abstract

Against the background of the new era, social competition keeps intensifying, and college students are under multiple pressures from academic assessments, interpersonal communication, emotional distress and career‑hunting. The incidence of psychological distress among college students has been on the rise. As an important concept in positive psychology, psychological resilience refers to the psychological capital that enables individuals to conduct self‑regulation, achieve psychological recovery and pursue growth when confronted with setbacks and adversities. It is of great significance for preventing college students’ psychological risks and maintaining their mental health. Physical exercise is not only physiologically valuable for building physical fitness, but also bears the educational functions of tempering willpower, relieving emotions and expanding social connections. Adopting literature analysis and semi‑structured interview methods, this paper sorts out relevant theories on physical exercise and psychological resilience. Based on interview data collected from college students, it explores the specific impacts and internal mechanism of physical exercise on college students’ psychological resilience, analyzes practical dilemmas existing in cultivating college students’ psychological resilience via physical exercise in universities, and puts forward systematic practical approaches. The research shows that autonomous and regular physical exercise can improve college students’ psychological resilience from multiple dimensions including emotion regulation, will‑power shaping and social support. Group sports exert a more prominent promoting effect on the optimism dimension of psychological resilience. This research can provide theoretical reference and practical basis for universities to implement moral education through physical activity and promote collaborative education between physical education and mental‑health education.