Effects of acute aerobic exercise or meditation on emotional regulation

Effective emotional regulation is critical for overall psychological well-being; as such, it is important to investigate potential methods to optimize emotion regulation abilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an acute bout of aerobic exercise and meditation on emotional regulation among young adults. Participants (N = 63, mean age = 21.3 yrs) were randomly assigned to stretch (control group, n = 21), walk (n = 21), or meditate (n = 21) for 10-min, after which they were exposed to a film clip (3 min) intended to elicit a negative emotional state (e.g., sadness, anger). Participants then viewed 12 International Affective Picture System images validated to elicit a negative valence. Participants' affect (valence and arousal) states were monitored before, during, and after the stretching, walking, and meditation bouts using the Feeling Scale (FS) and Felt Arousal Scale (FAS). Distinct affect was assessed utilizing an affective circumplex measure before and after the stretch/walk/meditation bout, as well as following the film clip and image viewing. A significant group × time interaction effect was present when evaluating circumplex excited: P = 0.001 (η2 = 0.21). Additionally, an interaction effect of meditation and emotional regulation was observed (P = 0.009) among those with varying degrees of meditation experience. A 10-min bout of brisk walking and meditation, prior to exposure to a negative emotion cue, did not differentially effect the ability to regulate sadness, anger, or anxiousness when compared to an active stretching control group. Future replicative work addressing this paradigm, which is in support of positive psychology theory, is warranted.