Feasibility and Effectiveness of the Web-Based WeActive and WeMindful Interventions on Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

This study is aimed at examining the feasibility and effectiveness of aerobic and resistance training (WeActive) and mindful exercise (WeMindful) interventions in improving physical activity (PA), psychological well-being (PWB), and subjective vitality among college students. Participants in this study were 77 college students who were randomly assigned to either the WeActive group ( $n=43$ ) or the WeMindful group ( $n=28$ ). The WeActive group attended two 30-minute aerobic and resistance training sessions per week, and the WeMindful group attended two 30-minute yoga and mindful exercise sessions per week for eight weeks. All participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index, and the Subjective Vitality Scale before and after the intervention, as well as the Assessing Feasibility and Acceptability Questionnaire at the end of the intervention. The primary study outcome measures were PA, PWB, and subjective vitality. A repeated-measures ANCOVA indicated a significant main effect of time for total PA ( $F=7.89,p=0.006,{\eta }^2=0.049$ ), vigorous PA ( $F=5.36,p=0.024,{\eta }^2=0.022$ ), and walking ( $F=7.34,p=0.009,{\eta }^2=0.042$ ) in both intervention groups. There was a significant interaction effect of time and group for PWB ( $F=11.26,p=0.001,{\eta }^2=0.022$ ), where the WeActive group experienced a decrease in PWB scores while participants in the WeMindful group experienced an increase in PWB scores over time. There was a main effect of group for subjective vitality ( $F=8.91,p=0.007,{\eta }^2=0.088$ ), indicating that the WeMindful group experienced a greater increase in subjective vitality than the WeActive group. Further, the participants in both groups indicated that the synchronized and asynchronized Zoom-based WeActive and WeMindful interventions were acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for participants. This study demonstrated that mindful exercise is effective in increasing PA, PWB, and subjective vitality while aerobic and resistance training may only be effective in increasing PA.