Effects of Low and High Intensity Exercise in Improving Working Memory Among Students With Anxiety Symptoms

A Comparative Study Between Effects of Low and High Intensity Exercise in Improving Working Memory Among Students With Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety levels among the younger generation especially students have been increasing drastically in recent years. This severely affects a student's academics as previous studies have shown a strong correlation between high anxiety levels and poor working memory. Working memory, also known as short term memory is an important component in studying as it aids in holding important information needed to understand following information for a short period of time. This concerning phenomenon has drawn the attention of researchers to find solutions to this issue where recent studies have found physical exercise to contribute in the improvement of cognition which also includes working memory. Hence, the aim of this study is to compare the effects of low and high intensity exercises on working memory among students with high anxiety levels. Thirty female undergraduate students from UTAR with relatively high levels of anxiety will be conveniently sampled using Beck Anxiety Inventory. Participants will then be randomly allocated into 2 groups to undergo low and high intensity exercise on a treadmill according to Balke's Protocol. 2 memory assessments involving Verbal Memory Task will be conducted for each participant before and after the intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female students (Age group: 18-25 years)
• Participants with mild to severe anxiety levels (Score of >8)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants with Cardiorespiratory problems (e.g. Asthma, Congestive heart disorders) or severe Musculoskeletal problems that prevent them from carrying out any physical exercise or advised by personal physician not to.
• Participants that have had a recent head injury (recent 5 years)