Physical activity was associated with both adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of crisis coping among college students, with rumination and emotion regulation strategies (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) serving as significant mediating pathways.
Physical activity was associated with both adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of crisis coping among college students.
Rumination served as a significant mediator in the association between physical activity and crisis coping.
Expressive suppression mediated the relationship between physical activity and crisis coping.
Cognitive reappraisal mediated the relationship between physical activity and crisis coping.
Two chain-mediated pathways linking physical activity to crisis coping through both rumination and emotion regulation strategies were supported.
This research suggests that physical activity helps college students cope with psychological crises not just directly, but through a chain of mental processes. Specifically, being physically active appears to be linked to less rumination (repetitive negative thinking) and healthier ways of managing emotions — such as reframing stressful situations (cognitive reappraisal) rather than suppressing feelings (expressive suppression). These psychological changes, in turn, relate to better crisis coping. The study surveyed over 1,000 Chinese college students and used advanced statistical modeling to trace these pathways. The findings matter because they go beyond simply saying 'exercise is good for mental health' and instead identify why and how it might help. By reducing rumination and promoting healthier emotion regulation, physical activity may support college students' ability to handle crises. This gives a more detailed picture of the psychological mechanisms involved. This research suggests that programs designed to support college students' mental health through physical activity might be more effective if they also explicitly address cognitive habits like rumination and teach emotion regulation skills. Rather than treating physical activity as a standalone solution, integrating it with cognitive and emotional components could offer a more comprehensive approach to student mental well-being.
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Upload Your LabsYang Y, Lu B, Wang S. (2026). Promoting psychological crisis coping through physical activity: The mediating roles of rumination and emotion regulation among college students.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0350928