Green exercise, nature connectedness, and academic burnout: a psychological study based on Chinese university students

Purpose This study investigated the associations between green exercise, nature connectedness, and academic burnout among university students, with a focus on whether nature connectedness mediates the relationship between green exercise and burnout. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with Chinese university students. Green exercise, nature connectedness, and three dimensions of academic burnout—emotional exhaustion (EE), cynicism (CY), and reduced personal accomplishment (RPA)—were assessed using validated self-report measures. Data were analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Mediation effects were tested using bias-corrected bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples. Results Green exercise was positively correlated with nature connectedness ( r = 0.320, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with EE ( r = −0.284, p < 0.001), CY ( r = −0.256, p < 0.001), and RPA ( r = −0.299, p < 0.001). SEM revealed that green exercise had significant direct effects on EE ( β = −0.217, p < 0.001), CY ( β = −0.183, p < 0.001), and RPA ( β = −0.212, p < 0.001). Indirect effects through nature connectedness were also significant: EE ( β = −0.126, 95% CI [−0.129, −0.074]), CY ( β = −0.126, 95% CI [−0.147, −0.086]), and RPA ( β = −0.131, 95% CI [−0.150, −0.088]). Mediation ratios indicated that 36.7% of the effect on EE, 40.8% of the effect on CY, and 38.2% of the effect on RPA were transmitted via nature connectedness. Conclusion The findings indicate that green exercise is a robust protective factor against academic burnout, operating both directly and indirectly through enhanced nature connectedness. Framed within Conservation of Resources theory and stress coping perspectives, these results suggest that outdoor physical activity and a strong sense of connection to nature function as interrelated resources that reduce strain, support resilience, and promote student well-being in higher education contexts.