Adolescents' personal beliefs about sufficient physical activity are more closely related to sleep and psychological functioning than self-reported physical activity: A prospective study

The mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise in adults with and without chronic pain

Background

Qualitative evidence points to the importance of both mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise in chronic pain, yet this bidirectional relationship has not been established quantitatively.

Methods

89 adults with chronic pain (75 female, Age: M = 34.7, SD=13.2), and 89 demographically-matched individuals without chronic pain (73 female, Age: M = 32.0, SD=13.3) self-reported demographic and health information, mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise, and leisure-time exercise activity.

Results

Adults with chronic pain had significantly higher scores on mental health-related barriers to exercise, and lower leisure-time exercise participation than adults without chronic pain. The groups did not differ on mental health-related benefits of exercise scores. Benefits scores positively predicted exercise, yet there was a significant negative interaction between pain and benefit scores, indicating a weaker positive relationship between benefits and exercise for adults with chronic pain than for those without chronic pain. Barrier scores significantly negatively predicted exercise engagement, but did not interact significantly with chronic pain.

Conclusion

Mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise are important considerations when prescribing exercise for adults with chronic pain. Adults with chronic pain may require individualised support to address mental health-related barriers to leisure-time exercise.

The Longitudinal Interplay between Sleep, Anthropometric Indices, Eating Behaviors, and Nutritional Aspects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sleep is fundamental for adolescents' healthy development but undergoes dramatic changes in quantity and quality due to the conflict between biological and social rhythms. Insufficient sleep has been associated with worse physical health status and irregular eating behaviors in adolescents. This review aims to systematically synthesize the longitudinal associations between adolescents' sleep dimensions (i.e., duration, timing, quality, and insomnia symptoms) and physical health indicators (i.e., anthropometric indices, fat percentage, and risk of obesity), eating behaviors, and nutritional aspects (i.e., type of diet related to the intake of specific foods and nutrients, amount and timing of food consumption, energy expenditure). A total of 28 longitudinal studies were included. The meta-analytic results showed that longer sleep duration, better sleep quality, and lower insomnia symptoms were associated with lower BMI and fat percentage and that shorter sleep duration (<7 h) and lower sleep quality were associated with a higher risk of obesity. Conversely, anthropometric indices were not related to sleep over time. Limited literature examined the bidirectional association between adolescents' sleep and their eating behaviors and nutritional aspects. Such knowledge sheds new light on the role of sleep for adolescents' health, highlighting the need to examine further the interplay between these variables.

Psychological well-being, mental distress, metabolic syndrome, and associated factors among people living in a refugee camp in Greece: a cross-sectional study

Background

Forcibly displaced people face various challenges and are therefore at higher risk of being affected by mental and physiological distress. The present study aimed to determine levels of psychological well-being, PTSD symptom severity, metabolic syndrome, and associated factors among forcibly displaced people in Greece in response to WHO's call for evidence-based public health policies and programs for forcibly displaced people.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among n = 150 (50% women) forcibly displaced people originating from Sub-Sahara Africa and Southwest Asia living in a Greek refugee camp. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess psychological well-being, symptoms of PTSD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder and insomnia, perceived stress, headache, and perceived fitness. Cardiovascular risk markers were assessed to determine metabolic syndrome, and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with the Åstrand-Rhyming Test of Maximal Oxygen Uptake.

Results

The prevalence of mental distress and physiological disorders was overall elevated. Only 53.0% of participants rated their psychological well-being as high. Altogether, 35.3% scored above the clinical cut-off for PTSD, 33.3% for depression, 27.9% for generalized anxiety disorder, and 33.8% for insomnia. One in four (28.8%) participants met criteria for metabolic syndrome. While the prevalence of moderate or severe insomnia symptoms and metabolic syndrome differed little from the global population, the risk of being affected by mental distress was markedly increased. In multivariable analysis, higher perceived fitness was associated with higher psychological well-being (OR = 1.35, p = 0.003) and a decreased likelihood for metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.80, p = 0.031). Participants with elevated psychiatric symptoms were less likely to report high psychological well-being (OR = 0.22, p = 0.003) and had increased odds for higher PTSD severity (OR = 3.27, p = 0.034). Increased stress perception was associated with higher PTSD symptoms (OR = 1.13, p = 0.002).

Conclusion

There is an elevated risk for mental distress compared to the global population and an overall high mental and physiological burden among people living in a Greek refugee camp. The findings underpin the call for urgent action. Policies should aim to reduce post-migration stressors and address mental health and non-communicable diseases by various programs. Sport and exercise interventions may be a favorable add-on, given that perceived fitness is associated with both mental and physiological health benefits.

Adolescents' Out-of-School Physical Activity Levels and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Restrictions in Greece: A Longitudinal Study

The present study aimed to identify the impact of social distancing measures on adolescents' physical activity (PA) levels and well-being during the implementation of COVID-19 restrictive measures. There were 438 participants (207 boys and 231 girls), aged 12 to 15 years old (M = 13.5, SD = 0.55). They completed online questionnaires on well-being and PA in three waves (December 2020, February 2021, and June 2021). Correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between well-being and PA variables in the three measurements. Additionally, separate three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to capture possible differences in students' moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality among the three measurements due to gender, age, and interaction between gender and age. A significant relation emerged between the MVPA variables and well-being. In all measurements, adolescents' PA levels did not meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of at least 60 min per day in MVPA. Students' MVPA levels, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality were significantly higher in the third measurement compared to the first and second ones. Moreover, significant differences emerged in life satisfaction and subjective vitality between boys and girls in the first and third measurements, respectively. The COVID-19 restrictions appeared to negatively influence adolescents' PA and well-being. Policymakers aimed at facilitating adolescents' well-being in a similar situation in the future should not adopt measures restricting the participation of adolescents in PA.

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Mental Health-Related Barriers and Benefits to EXercise (MEX) Scale in Healthy Adults

BACKGROUND

Physical exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms, the most common mental health disorders globally. Despite the benefits of exercise in anxiety and depression, the symptoms of these disorders may directly contribute to a lack of engagement with exercise. However, mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise engagement have not been addressed in quantitative research. We introduce the development and psychometric validation of the Mental health-related barriers and benefits to EXercise (MEX) scale.

METHODS

Three samples were collected online prospectively (sample 1 n = 492; sample 2 n = 302; sample 3 n = 303) for scale refinement and validation with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. All participants were generally healthy adults, aged 18-45, and had no history of severe mental illness requiring hospitalization and no physical disability impacting over 50% of daily function.

RESULTS

We identified a 30-item, two-factor model comprising 15 barrier and 15 benefit items. Overall model fit was excellent for an item-level scale across the three samples (Comparative Fit Index = 0.935-0.951; Root-Mean-Square Error of Approximation = 0.037-0.039). Internal consistency was also excellent across the three samples (α = 0.900-0.951). The barriers subscale was positively correlated with symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, and negatively correlated with measures of physical activity and exercise engagement. The benefits subscale was negatively correlated with symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, and positively correlated with measures of physical activity and exercise engagement.

CONCLUSION

The MEX is a novel, psychometrically robust scale, which is appropriate for research and for clinical use to ascertain individual and/or group level mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise.

Relevant Variables in the Stimulation of Psychological Well-Being in Physical Education: A Systematic Review

This study is based on the need to explore the different strategies and interventions that seek to develop psychological well-being (PW) in scholars (children and adolescents aged 9–19 years) through physical education and school sports by bearing in mind other variables that can extensively facilitate PW in these students. This study analyzed 504 research works published between 2010 and 2020, and 23 were selected for this review because they met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that the most studied variables were: motivation, academic performance, teaching climate in physical education (PE) teaching styles, parents’ relationships and school environment. The literature review carried out in this study reveals the need to consider PW with other relevant variables, and the importance of doing so from a community approach, in which all systems (parents, school and government) are active participants, and contribute to generate a positive environment for all. Finally, school professionals should be aware of the need to stimulate their students’ PW because government organizations should be interested in promoting such a policy in this population.

Boosting Student Wellbeing Despite a Pandemic: Positive Psychology Interventions and the Impact of Sleep in the United Arab Emirates

Positive psychology interventions hold great promise as schools around the world look to increase the wellbeing of young people. To reach this aim, a program was developed to generate positive emotions, as well as improve life satisfaction, mental toughness and perceptions of school kindness in 538 expatriate students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Starting in September 2019, the program included a range of positive psychology interventions such as gratitude, acts of kindness and mental contrasting as examples. Life satisfaction and mental toughness at mid-year were sustained or grew by the end of the year. Positive affect, emotional wellbeing and social wellbeing increased at post-intervention 1, compared to baseline. However, this improvement reverted to baseline levels at post-intervention 2, when data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only psychological wellbeing, negative affect, perceptions of control, and school kindness were increased at post-intervention 2. During the lockdown, students moved less, but slept and scrolled more. Those who extended their sleep duration reported greater wellbeing. Boosting wellbeing through the use of positive psychology interventions works – even in a pandemic – and extended sleep duration appears to be a driving factor for this observation.

Effects of an exercise and sport intervention among refugees living in a Greek refugee camp on mental health, physical fitness and cardiovascular risk markers: study protocol for the SALEEM pragmatic randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Due to ongoing political and social conflicts, the number of international refugees has been increasing. Refugees are exposed to severe mental and physical strain, as well as traumatic experiences during their flight. Therefore, the risk of psychiatric disorders is markedly increased among international refugees. International organizations have criticized the lack of early interventions as a key problem, because untreated mental disorders are often difficult to cure at a later stage. Today, exercise and sport have been successfully employed to treat a wide range of psychiatric disorders. With patients with post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), very limited empirical evidence exists, and studies carried out with international refugees are nearly non-existent.

METHODS

We intend to implement a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) with an exercise and sport intervention group (n = 68, 50% women) and a wait-list control group (n = 68, 50% women) in the Koutsochero refugee camp, located close to the city of Larissa (Greece). During the RCT, exercise and sport will be offered five times per week (60 min/session) for 10 weeks. Participants will be asked to participate in at least two sessions per week. The programme is developed according to the participants' needs and preferences and they will be able to choose between a range of activities. PTSD symptoms will serve as primary outcome, and several secondary outcomes will be assessed. Qualitative data collection methods will be used to gain a more in-depth appraisal of the participants' perception of the intervention programme. In the second year of study, the programme will be opened to all camp residents. A strategy will be developed how the programme can be continued after the end of the funding period, and how the programme can be scaled up beyond the borders of the Koutsochero camp.

DISCUSSION

By moving towards the primary prevention of chronic physical conditions and psychiatric disorders, a relevant contribution can be done to enhance the quality and quantity of life of refugee camp residents in Greece. Our findings may also strengthen the evidence for exercise as medicine as a holistic care option in refugee camps, by helping camp residents to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered prospectively on the 8 February 2021 with ISRCTN https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16291983.

The Motor Function Evaluation of College Students' Physical Activity State From the Perspective of Educational Psychology

College students have taken part in less and less physical activities as a result of the common static lifestyle in recent years, lowering the level of motor function. This phenomenon has been a source of concern for schools and the government, and it is necessary to take corresponding measures to change it. The general motor function level of Chinese college students is explored first based on artificial intelligence and the human–computer interaction technology. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for College Students is compiled by referring to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and 561 students from colleges in Tianjin province are assessed based on the functional movement screen (FMS). Spearman correlation and multivariate regression analysis (MRA) are used to analyze the correlation between the motor function and physical activity status. In terms of lunch break frequency, the proportion of students having one to two lunch breaks in a week is the highest (54.15%); in terms of the frequency of doing moderate physical exercise, the proportion of students doing moderate physical exercise for 1–2 days in a week is the highest (50.61%); in terms of the frequency of doing heavy physical exercise, the proportion of students doing heavy exercise for 1–2 days in a week is the highest (47.26%); in terms of the sedentary time, the proportion of students with sedentary time more than 5 h in a day is the highest (40.61%); in terms of eye use time, the proportion of students with 8–10 h eye use time in a day is the highest (43.61%). Besides, in terms of the FMS score, the proportion of students with 13–15 FMS is the highest (48.46%). The hurdle step (21.03%), straight knee lift (22.52%), and body rotation stability (18.31%) have a relatively low proportion among the three-point items. There is a positive correlation between motor function score with the time of moderate exercise and the time of heavy exercise (P < 0.05). College students generally have insufficient rest time, long eye use time, and long sitting time, leading to a low level of motor function, manifested by an asymmetry between both sides of the body and poor trunk stability. It is recommended to add hurdling steps, straight knee lifts, and body rotation stability tests to college physical education courses.

Relationships between College Students' Sedentary Behavior, Sleep Quality, and Body Mass Index

PURPOSE

Sedentary behavior (SB), sleep efficiency (SE), sleep duration (SD), and body mass index (BMI) are crucial determinants of an individual's health. However, empirical evidence regarding associations between these factors in young adults living in China remains unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between accelerometer-measured SB, SE, SD, and BMI in Chinese college students.

METHODS

Two-hundred and twenty college students (115 females, Meanage = 20.29 years, SD = 2.37) were recruited from a south-central Chinese university. Participants' SB (daily % time spent in SB), SE (number of minutes of sleep duration/number of minutes in bed), and SD were assessed via wrist-worn ActiGraph GT9X Link accelerometers for one week. Body weight was measured using a digital weight scale, height was measured using a stadiometer, and BMI was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m2).

RESULTS

Participants' average time spent in SB was 76.52% (SD = 10.03), SE was 84.12% (SD = 4.79), and BMI was 20.67 kg/m2 (SD = 3.12), respectively. Regression analyses indicated that SB (β = -0.17, p = 0.01) and BMI (β = -0.20, p < 0.01) negatively predicted SE. In addition, BMI negatively predicted SD (β = -0.22, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Prolonged SB (e.g., screen viewing, smartphone use, and computer playing) and higher BMI may link to shorter sleep duration and lower sleep efficiency in Chinese young adults. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to further confirm these findings. Given that increased BMI status and SB may relate to adverse health outcomes, more population-based intervention strategies seeking to lower BMI and reduce SB (e.g., nutrition education and physical activity promotion) are needed in this population.

The relationship between body shape perception and health behaviors among Korean normal-weight adolescents using Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey

Inappropriate adolescent health behavior can be influenced by the negative impact of physical and mental health promotion. Obesity influences subjective improper weight perception. This study aimed to verify Korean normal-weight adolescents' subjective experience of weight control, mental health, physical activity, and subjective status based on their body mass index (BMI). As a result, efforts to control weight appeared less in normal-weight boys. Thin girls were less likely to carry out 60 min of physical activity 7 or 5 days per a week. Obese boys were less likely to carry out vigorous physical activity 3 days per a week. Normal-weight girls were less likely to practice muscular strength training 3 days per a week. Thin boys and thing girls were less likely to practice regular physical activity, and less likely to practice at the rate stipulated in the sedentary behavior guideline. In conclusion, boys and girls with inappropriate weight perception reported feeling stressed and depressed, and reported subjective sleep fulfillment, perceived subjective happiness, and perceived subjective health.

Perfectly Active Teenagers. When Does Physical Exercise Help Psychological Well-Being in Adolescents?

In the context of physical activity and sport, perfectionism and the regular practice of physical activity are related to psychological well-being and the regulation of psychological resources necessary for adaptation to effort and satisfaction. At the same time, the most active students are also those who show greater appetites for physical education classes. The goal of this work was to identify the influence of perfectionist beliefs and the regularity of the practice of physical exercise on psychological well-being. The participants were adolescents (n = 436) aged between 14 and 19 years (M = 16.80, SD = 0.77). They were administered the Multidimensional Perfection Scale, the Psychological Wellbeing Scale, the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQv2), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The results showed, under a non-random and transversal design, that the participants gave important value to physical exercise because they feel both active and vigorous. Regarding perfectionism, the functional aspects of perfectionism (expectations of achievement and organization) correlated positively, while the dysfunctional aspects (fear of committing errors and external expectations) did so negatively with the importance given to physical exercise performed by adolescents; this in turn positively predicted psychological well-being. In this way, the hypothesized model contemplated the relevance of the included variables and reflected the mediation of the degree of importance given to the practice of physical exercise on perfectionist beliefs and psychological well-being. Currently, most physical activity practice proposals for adolescents focus on federated and structured environments for competition, and those that deal with recreational and health-oriented sports are far less common. Hence, “the perfect way of doing sports” for a teenager should be accompanied by cognitive schemes aimed at strengthening psychological resources that allow the regulation of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Impact of an 8-Week Exercise and Sport Intervention on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Mental Health, and Physical Fitness among Male Refugees Living in a Greek Refugee Camp

Objective: To explore the potential impact of exercise and sport training on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, quality of life, pain, and fitness in male refugees living in a Greek refugee camp. Methods: This investigation was designed as a one group pre-test/post-test study. A total of 45 refugees (M_age = 25.6) participated in the data assessment. All participants were invited to engage in an 8-week exercise and sport intervention. Data were analysed with hierarchical regression analyses. Results: Baseline scores significantly predicted post-intervention scores across all study variables. Regression analyses showed that a higher participation rate predicted fewer anxiety symptoms, better health-related quality of life, higher self-perceived fitness, higher handgrip strength, and better cardiovascular fitness at post-intervention. A non-significant trend was also found for PTSD and depressive symptoms, showing that a higher participation rate was associated with fewer complaints at post-intervention. Conclusions: Among male refugees living in precarious conditions in a Greek refugee camp, frequency of participation in an 8-week exercise and sport training program seemed to have the potential to positively impact refugees’ health. Due to the pre-experimental study design, our results must be interpreted with caution.

Psychometric Assessment of Shortened Mental Toughness Questionnaires (MTQ): Factor Structure of the MTQ-18 and the MTQ-10

The 18-item Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ-18) is a brief, widely used measure of mental toughness. The MTQ-18 derives from the longer MTQ-48, which comprises four independent but correlated factors (challenge, commitment, control, and confidence). Despite sampling items from across MTQ-48 dimensions, the MTQ-18 (as intended) provides a global, unidimensional score. Researchers have recently developed a further abridged version of the MTQ-18, the MTQ-10, which has demonstrated promising psychometric performance. The current paper assessed the factorial structure, reliability, predictive validity and invariance of the MTQ-18 and MTQ-10 in a sample of 944 students from English independent schools (year 11, aged 16 years). Respondents completed the MTQ-18 items online alongside the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the MTQ-10 was a superior general measure, because the MTQ-18 possessed additional variance to that accounted for by an unidimensional solution. Additionally, the MTQ-10 evidenced higher factor loadings and demonstrated better data-model fit. Tests of concurrent validity revealed the MTQ-10 was a stronger predictor of well-being (life satisfaction). Both the MTQ-18 and MTQ-10 demonstrated gender invariance at the configural, metric, and scalar level. Overall, although the MTQ-18 was a psychometrically acceptable measure, the MTQ-10 was a superior unidimensional measure of MT.

Self-perception of physical activity and fitness is related to lower psychosomatic health symptoms in adolescents with unhealthy lifestyles

Abstract

The general aim of the present study was to examine how physical activity, participation in sports, and beliefs about personal physical activity and physical fitness are associated with adolescents’ psychosomatic health complaints (PHC) in relation to their lifestyles.

Methods

A total of 3284 11–19-year-old adolescents (average age 14.9 ± 2.0; 48.6% male) participated in the population-based cross-sectional study. Self-administered questionnaires addressed lifestyle, sports participation, physical activity, physical fitness perception, and PHC.

Results

Female gender (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.57–2.35), smoking (OR = 1.31; 95%PI = 1.01–1.68), alcohol consumption (OR = 1.60; 95%PI = 1.30–1.97), unhealthy foods (OR = 1.14; 95%PI = 1.04–1.26), hours of internet use (OR = 1.14; 95%PI = 1.07–1.21), and poor personal fitness perception (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.27–2.02) were associated with PHC in adolescents. Lower physical activity and self-perceived insufficient physical activity, perception of physical fitness as being poor, and not participating in sports were associated with greater somatic and psychological complaints controlling for age, gender, and BMI. Participation in sports and physical activity did not change PHC in adolescents involved in unhealthy behaviour. However, a positive perception of one’s own physical activity and physical fitness decreased PHC in adolescents who reported an unhealthy lifestyle.

Conclusions

Adolescents demonstrating poorer health-related behavioural profiles showed higher PHC. Physical activity and sports participation were related to lower PHC. Positive physical activity and physical fitness perception changed the associations between PHC and unhealthy lifestyle: adolescents perceiving themselves as sufficiently physically active and those evaluating their physical fitness as good showed lower PHC, despite the presence of unhealthy habits (high screen time, drinking alcohol, smoking, and consuming unhealthy foods). It is important to study cognitive factors when exploring the associations between adolescent lifestyles and PHC. These results are important for health promotion and education programmes aimed at improving healthy lifestyle and psychosocial well-being in adolescents.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-7311-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nursing Student Satisfaction With Daily Life: A Holistic Approach

BACKGROUND

Nursing school, clinical, and academic life challenges most students' satisfaction with daily life. This study sought to examine associations between undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with daily life and body mass index (BMI), self-weight perception, and intake of 18 commonly consumed food and beverages over the past 30 days.

METHOD

A cross-sectional, correlational, online study facilitated data collection from 215 nursing students.

RESULTS

One unit increase in satisfaction with daily life predicted a modest 36% decrease in the odds of being overweight/obese. One unit increase in satisfaction with daily life predicted a 106% increase in the odds of being in the about the right weight category. Approximately 44.9% of the nursing students were in the overweight, obese, or extremely obese categories.

CONCLUSION

Healthy nutrition and normal BMI, with a positive self-weight perception, before nurses enter the workforce may have lifelong benefits. Nursing faculty can provide motivation, a supportive environment, and tools to instill a culture of health and wellness. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(12):751-755.].

Sprint Interval Training and Continuous Aerobic Exercise Training Have Similar Effects on Exercise Motivation and Affective Responses to Exercise in Patients With Major Depressive Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Sprint interval training (SIT) has become increasingly popular and is seen as a promising exercise strategy to increase fitness in healthy people. Nevertheless, some scholars doubt the appropriateness of a SIT training protocol for largely physically inactive populations. SIT might be too arduous, and therefore contribute to feelings of incompetence, failure, and lower self-esteem, which may undermine participants' exercise motivation. Therefore, we examined whether participation in 12 SIT sessions would lead to different changes in self-determined motivation, affective responses to exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and depressive symptom severity compared to aerobic exercise training (CAT) in a sample of patients with major depressive disorders (MDD). Methods: Two groups of 25 patients (39 women, 11 men) with unipolar depression were randomly assigned to the SIT or CAT condition (M = 36.4 years, SD = 11.3). Data were assessed at baseline and post-intervention (three weekly 35-min sessions of SIT/CAT over a 4-week period). Self-determined exercise motivation was assessed with a 12-item self-rating questionnaire, affective valence was assessed in each session, prior, during, and after the exercise training using the Feeling Scale (FS). Cardiovascular fitness was measured with a maximal bicycle ergometer test, self-perceived fitness with a 1-item rating scale, physical activity with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF), and depressive symptom severity with the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDi-II). Results: The SIT and CAT groups did not differ with regard to their changes in self-determined motivation from baseline to post-intervention. Participants in the SIT and CAT group showed similar (positive) affective responses during and after the training sessions. Cardiorespiratory fitness, self-perceived fitness and depressive symptom severity similarly improved in the SIT and CAT group. Finally, significant increases were observed in self-reported physical activity from baseline to post-intervention. However, these increases were larger in the CAT compared to the SIT group. Conclusion: From a motivational point of view, SIT seems just as suited as CAT in the treatment of patients with MDD. This is a promising finding because according to self-determination theory, it seems advantageous for patients to choose between different exercise therapy regimes, and for their preferences with regard to exercise type and intensity to be considered.