The Effects of Moderate-Intensity Physical Exercise and Yoga Interventions on Stress in Hispanic College Students: A Pilot Study.

Background: Hispanic college students face high stress, which may increase their risk for chronic stress-related health issues. Effective and accessible stress management strategies for this population remain limited.

Objective: This pilot study filled a gap by studying the effects of psychological stress on diet and physical activity habits and evaluating the impact of moderate-intensity physical exercise (MIPE) and yoga interventions on chronic psychological stress and acute stress responses among Hispanic college students.

Methods: A total of 18 Hispanic college students participated in a 6-week intervention consisting of either MIPE or yoga, conducted twice weekly. Anthropometric measurements and lifestyle data were collected at both pre- and post-intervention timepoints. Psychological stress was evaluated using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), morning salivary cortisol concentrations, and the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST).

Results: Before the intervention, both perceived stress scores and morning salivary cortisol concentrations were positively correlated with the frequency of sweetened beverage intake and negatively correlated with attitudes toward exercise. Psychological stress was not significantly reduced after MIPE or yoga interventions. The salivary cortisol response to TSST was significantly improved after the yoga intervention.

Conclusions: Although this pilot exploratory study suggests that short-term yoga may have beneficial effects in managing acute stress response in Hispanic college students, the efficacy of the interventions needs to be tested and replicated in a fully powered trial.