Author(s): MILLER, A., BOGART, S., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA, Country: UNITED STATES, Abstract-ID: 2779

INTRODUCTION:
Exercise can be used to improve many health measures and reduce healthcare cost. Going to a local gym is a common way for people to improve upon their fitness. Unfortunately, there are people with social anxiety that acts as a barrier to exercising at a gym. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if an online training plan would reduce social anxiety in untrained college students.
METHODS:
This preliminary investigation included 7 students from a private liberal arts institution in Florida, USA. On average, participants were 19.5 years old (SD=1.55; Range=18-21). Participants completed a survey that measured their exercise and general anxiety levels before participating in an online training and again after the five weeks of online training. The surveys used were the Social Exercise and Anxiety Measure, which yields three subscales: Self-Efficacy (SES), one’s belief in their ability to complete exercises, Gym Avoidance (GA), hesitancy to attend a gym, and Exercise Importance (EI), and personal significance of physical activity. They also completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 to measure overall anxiety. A personal trainer recorder ten, 30-minute workouts using body weight exercises and resistance bands. A link to these videos was given to the participants to access at home two days a week. A resistance band was provided to each participant to be used for the study.
RESULTS:
Participants reported a significantly greater likelihood of including online workouts in their exercise routine following the intervention (M = 4.63, SD = 0.52) compared to pre-intervention ratings (M = 3.50, SD = 0.76; t(7) = −3.21, p = .015). Similarly, participants indicated a significantly increased likelihood of incorporating resistance bands into their workouts post-intervention (M = 4.13, SD = 0.35) relative to pre-intervention ratings (M = 3.00, SD = 0.93); t(7) = −2.83, p = .026). Confidence in exercising at a public gym also significantly improved following the intervention (M = 57.88, SD = 24.65) compared to pre-intervention levels (M = 47.00, SD = 21.66); t(7) = −2.64, p = .033).
CONCLUSION:
These findings suggest that anxiety-sensitive exercise interventions, particularly those that reduce social exposure and environmental intimidation, may serve as effective entry points for increasing physical activity among anxious individuals. Future research should expand upon these findings using larger samples and longer interventions to determine whether improvements in confidence and anxiety translate into sustained exercise participation over time.