Higher levels of physical activity were prospectively associated with greater psychological capital and body appreciation among Chinese university students, with PsyCap partially mediating this association (23.33%), and different dimensions of PA demonstrating distinct nonlinear dose-response patterns.
Baseline physical activity prospectively predicted higher psychological capital at follow-up.
Baseline physical activity prospectively predicted greater body appreciation at follow-up.
Baseline psychological capital prospectively predicted subsequent body appreciation.
Psychological capital partially mediated the prospective association between baseline physical activity and follow-up body appreciation.
Exercise intensity was linearly associated with psychological capital, while exercise duration and frequency exhibited U-shaped (nonlinear) associations with PsyCap.
Exercise duration demonstrated a significant cubic nonlinear association with body appreciation, while intensity and frequency showed positive linear associations.
Male students reported significantly higher levels of physical activity, psychological capital, and body appreciation than female students.
This research suggests that being more physically active is linked over time to both stronger psychological resources (like confidence, hope, resilience, and optimism — collectively called 'psychological capital') and a more positive relationship with one's body (measured as 'body appreciation') among Chinese university students. The study followed 669 students across two time points three months apart, and found that students who were more active at the start of the study tended to have higher psychological capital and greater body appreciation three months later. Part of how physical activity may benefit body image appears to work through building these psychological strengths, which accounted for roughly 23% of the link between activity and body appreciation. A particularly notable finding is that the relationship between physical activity and these psychological benefits is not always straightforward — 'more is not always better.' Different aspects of exercise (how hard you work out, how long each session lasts, and how often you exercise) had different patterns of association with psychological wellbeing. For example, working out at higher intensities was consistently associated with better outcomes in a simple linear way, but exercising for longer durations showed a more complex, curved relationship with both psychological capital and body image. This suggests that simply doing more exercise in terms of session length does not guarantee proportionally greater psychological benefit. The study also found that male students consistently reported higher physical activity, psychological capital, and body appreciation than female students. Because this was a longitudinal study (not an experiment), the findings show associations over time rather than proving that exercise directly causes improvements in body image or psychological capital. Still, this research suggests that promoting physical activity among university students — particularly attending to exercise intensity and frequency — may support both psychological wellbeing and healthier attitudes toward one's body, and that building psychological strengths may be one pathway through which this benefit occurs.
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Upload Your LabsLi Y, Chen X. (2026). More is not always better: longitudinal associations and nonlinear dose-response relationships between physical activity, psychological capital, and positive body image among Chinese university students.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1870988