A large national study of Norwegian higher-education students has found that infrequent physical exercise is associated with a greater risk of developing clinically defined anxiety and depression within the following year. The research, published in PLOS One, suggests that how regularly students exercise may matter more for future mental health than exercising at very high intensity or completing long individual sessions. The findings offer fresh evidence that routine physical activity could be an important, modifiable component of student well-being during a period of life marked by academic pressure, social change and increased vulnerability to common mental disorders.
The study followed 10,460 full-time students between 18 and 35 years of age from across Norway. Participants reported their exercise habits at the beginning of the study, including how often they exercised, how intense their activity was, how long sessions lasted and how many hours they accumulated during a typical week. Approximately one year later, the students completed a standardized, self-administered diagnostic instrument designed to identify symptoms consistent with common mental disorders. This prospective design allowed the researchers to examine whether patterns of physical activity preceded later mental-health outcomes, rather than measuring exercise and psychological symptoms at the same moment.
Common mental disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, are among the leading causes of disability in young adults worldwide. Entering higher education can intensify existing vulnerabilities: students may experience disrupted sleep, financial concerns, academic competition, loneliness and the sudden loss of established routines. At the same time, physical inactivity is widespread among young adults. The researchers therefore focused on whether exercise might function as a protective factor during this transition. Their analysis did not attempt to prove that exercise directly prevents mental illness, but it examined whether differences in activity levels were statistically associated with differences in the later probability of developing a disorder.
The strongest and most consistent pattern involved exercise frequency. Students who exercised less often tended to face a higher risk of common mental disorders one year later. By contrast, the relationships involving exercise intensity and session duration were less uniform. This distinction is important because it challenges the idea that mental-health benefits depend primarily on demanding workouts or prolonged training. Regular movement, repeated across the week, may be more relevant than occasional bursts of strenuous exercise. A routine that is moderate but sustainable could therefore be more realistic and beneficial for students than an ambitious program that is difficult to maintain.
The researchers also identified differences between women and men in the exercise characteristics most closely associated with later symptoms. Among women, lower exercise intensity predicted anxiety and depression, while among men, shorter total weekly exercise duration appeared to be a stronger risk factor. These sex-specific associations do not establish different biological causes, and they should not be interpreted as universal rules for every individual. Exercise patterns can be shaped by social expectations, access to facilities, time constraints, existing health conditions and the types of activity people choose. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that future research and student-health programs may need to consider more than a single measure of physical activity.
The overall probability of developing a common mental disorder declined as the total amount of exercise increased, with the association continuing up to approximately 10 hours per week. The study also supported the World Health Organization recommendation that adults undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week. In physiological terms, moderate-to-vigorous activity generally raises heart rate and breathing above resting levels, while still allowing a person to sustain movement for a meaningful period. The results do not imply that students must reach 10 hours weekly to protect their mental health; rather, they indicate that greater activity was associated with lower risk across the observed range, with the most practical public-health benchmark remaining the established 150-minute recommendation.
Several mechanisms could help explain the association between regular exercise and mental health. Physical activity can influence stress-regulation systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which coordinates hormonal responses to challenge. Exercise may also affect sleep quality, circadian rhythms, inflammatory signaling and the release of neurochemicals involved in mood and motivation. Repeated activity can provide social contact, structure and a sense of mastery, all of which may be especially valuable during the unsettled years of higher education. These mechanisms are not tested directly by the present study, however, and the observed relationship may reflect a combination of biological, psychological and social effects rather than a single pathway.
Because the research was observational, reverse causation and other forms of bias remain possible. Students with emerging depression or anxiety may exercise less because of low energy, reduced motivation or physical symptoms, meaning that early mental-health changes could partly explain lower activity levels. Other factors, such as sleep, socioeconomic circumstances, previous psychiatric symptoms, physical illness or social support, may also influence both exercise and mental health. The researchers used a large national sample and assessed outcomes with a standardized diagnostic instrument, strengthening the study’s design, but statistical association cannot demonstrate that increasing exercise alone would prevent a disorder. Intervention trials would be needed to test causality more directly.
Even with these limitations, the findings point toward a practical message for universities and public-health planners: physical activity may be most useful when it becomes an ordinary, accessible part of student life. Campus walking routes, affordable sports programs, outdoor activities, active transportation and scheduled opportunities for moderate exercise could help reduce barriers without framing exercise as an elite pursuit. Such measures should complement, not replace, professional mental-health care for students experiencing significant symptoms. The authors emphasize that making physical activity accessible and natural may contribute to a healthier learning environment, particularly for students with emerging or subthreshold difficulties who may benefit from support before problems become more severe.
The study, led by Michael Grasdalsmoen of Western Norway University of Applied Sciences with colleagues from Norway and Iceland, adds prospective evidence to a growing body of research linking regular movement with psychological well-being. Its central message is not that intense training is required, but that consistency may be the most achievable and meaningful target. For students balancing lectures, employment, exams and social demands, a pattern of repeated moderate activity may offer a more sustainable route to potential mental-health benefits than sporadic endurance sessions. While exercise is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment, the evidence suggests that helping young adults move more often could be a valuable part of broader strategies to reduce the burden of anxiety and depression.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Physical exercise and risk of common mental disorders among higher education students: A national prospective study
News Publication Date: 19-Aug-2026
Web References: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353787
References: Grasdalsmoen M, Johannsson E, Hysing M, Sivertsen B (2026) Physical exercise and risk of common mental disorders among higher education students: A national prospective study. PLOS One 21(8): e0353787.
Image Credits: Michael Grasdalsmoen, CC BY 4.0
Keywords: physical exercise, student mental health, anxiety, depression, common mental disorders, higher education, physical activity, prospective study, Norway, PLOS One
