From decreased risk of heart disease to improved mood, the physical and mental health benefits of cardiovascular exercise are numerous. College students, who often juggle many responsibilities, may miss out on the many benefits of cardiovascular exercise due to a lack of time, energy, cost, or motivation. College students are also a population that struggles with elevated levels of depression, stress, and anxiety. This study aimed to test an exercise-based intervention with a focus on improving the psychological well-being of college students. This study’s cardiovascular intervention was Zumba, which is a Latin-style, high-intensity aerobic dance. Participants (n=12) were recruited from a small liberal arts college to participate in an 8- week Zumba exercise intervention. There was a total of 8, one-hour classes. The intervention was provided by a licensed, certified Zumba instructor. Participants self-selected into experimental and control conditions based on eligibility measured in a pre-screening. A longitudinal quasi-experimental design with mixed model ANOVA was used to analyze treatment outcomes on psychological well-being, which included stress, depression, and anxiety. Self-report assessments for these intervention outcomes were administered at baseline, at the midpoint of the intervention, and post-intervention. Results provided some encouraging trends that suggest Zumba may help improve the psychological well-being of college students. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
