The effects of physical exercise on college students’ subjective wellbeing: the chain mediating role of perceived social support and psychological resilience

Introduction: This study aims to explore the mechanism of physical exercise's influence on the subjective wellbeing of contemporary college students, and focuses on the mediating role of perceived social support and psychological resilience in it. Methods: Through a large-scale questionnaire survey of 513 college students, a chain mediation model was constructed, and the mediating effects of perceived social support and psychological resilience were examined and analyzed using structural equation modeling and Bootstrap method. Results: (1) Physical exercise can positively predict college students' subjective wellbeing; (2) Physical exercise can mediate college students' subjective wellbeing through perceived social support and psychological resilience, respectively; (3) Physical exercise can affect college students' subjective wellbeing through perceived social support and psychological resilience in a chain. Three pathways of mediating effects: physical exercise → perceived social support → subjective wellbeing (path 1), physical exercise → psychological resilience → subjective wellbeing (path 2), and physical exercise → perceived social support → psychological resilience → subjective wellbeing (path 3). Discussion: The results of the study show that physical exercise not only directly promotes subjective wellbeing, but also indirectly affects subjective wellbeing through the mediating effect of perceived social support and psychological resilience. This study provides empirical evidence for an in-depth understanding of the relationship between physical exercise and subjective wellbeing, and provides theoretical references for the synergistic promotion of college students' mental health and academic development.