Abstract
BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence highlights the role of physical exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. While most research has focused on aerobic modalities and chronic training programs, the acute psychological impact of resistance training (RT)-particularly in healthy, active individuals-remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the immediate effects of a single RT session on anxiety and depression in healthy, active individuals. METHODS: Fifty-six healthy, physically active participants (43 males, 13 females; M age = 24.41 ± 4.41 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (RT, n = 30) or a control group (stretching/mobility, n = 26). The RT session included multi-joint exercises performed at 70-75% 1RM, while the control session consisted of non-load-based mobility and flexibility exercises. Psychological responses were measured immediately before and five minutes after the session using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which includes subscales for anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D). RESULTS: Non-parametric within-group analysis (Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test) revealed a significant reduction in anxiety scores in the RT group (Z = -3.3, p < 0.001, r = -0.7), and a moderate but significant decrease in depression (Z = -2.8, p = 0.005, r = -0.6). No significant changes were observed in the control group for either variable. Between-group comparisons (Mann-Whitney U) showed significantly greater reductions in anxiety in the RT group (p = 0.021), while differences in depression deltas were not significant. A Quade ANCOVA confirmed that group assignment is significantly predictive for post-intervention anxiety levels (F(1, 54) = 8.46, p = 0.005), controlling for baseline values. CONCLUSIONS: A single session of moderate-to-high-intensity resistance training can acutely reduce anxiety symptoms in healthy physically active individuals. The effect on depressive symptoms appears more modest and variable, suggesting differential sensitivity to acute exercise stimuli. These findings support the use of RT not only for long-term psychological health but also as a feasible short-term intervention for emotional regulation in healthy active populations.