Move for Happiness: Examining the Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness
Keywords:
physical activity, Emotion regulation, happiness, college studentAbstract
Background: Physical activity is consistently associated with higher happiness, yet the strength of this relationship varies across individuals. Psychological characteristics such as emotion regulation may relate to well-being, but their role in explaining the benefits of physical activity remains unclear. Objective: This study examined the relationship between physical activity and happiness and evaluated whether emotion regulation is associated with differences in this relationship. Method: A quantitative non-experimental design was conducted involving 234 undergraduate students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire on Indonesian Sport Setting, and the short version of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Regression and moderation analyses were performed using JASP. Results: Physical activity was positively associated with happiness. Emotion regulation was also related to happiness at the correlational level; however, it did not significantly moderate the relationship between physical activity and happiness. Conclusion: The findings suggest that physical activity contributes to happiness relatively consistently across individuals, while emotion regulation represents a related psychological characteristic rather than a determining mechanism explaining the association
References
An, H., Chen, W., Wang, C., Yang, H., & Huang, W. (2020). The Relationships between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction and Happiness among Young , Middle-Aged , and Older Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), 4817. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134817
Barattucci, M., Brugnera, A., Ramaci, T., Kuvačić, G., & Giorgio, A. De. (2024). An 8-item scale for the measurement of happiness : validation and application of the Oxford happiness questionnaire in an Italian sample. Current Psychology, 43, 11092–11101. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05201-z An
Chan, J. S. Y., Liu, G., Liang, D., Deng, K., Wu, J., & Yan, J. H. (2019). Special Issue – Therapeutic Benefits of Physical Activity for Mood: A Systematic Review on the Effects of Exercise Intensity, Duration, and Modality. The Journal of Psychology, 153(1), 102–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2018.1470487
Chen, C., & Nakagawa, S. (2023). Recent advances in the study of the neurobiological mechanisms behind the effects of physical activity on mood, resilience and emotional disorders. In Advances in clinical and experimental medicine : official organ Wroclaw Medical University (Vol. 32, Issue 9, pp. 937–942). https://doi.org/10.17219/acem/171565
Chen, X., Huang, Z., & Lin, W. (2022). The effect of emotion regulation on happiness and resilience of university students: The chain mediating role of learning motivation and target positioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1029655. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1029655
de Oliveira, L. da S. S. C. B., Souza, E. C., Rodrigues, R. A. S., Fett, C. A., & Piva, A. B. (2019). The effects of physical activity on anxiety, depression, and quality of life in elderly people living in the community. Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 41(1), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.1590/2237-6089-2017-0129
Harita, A. N. W., Adani, E. F., & Azizah, L. N. (2025). Eksplorasi regulasi emosi dengan aktivitas fisik mahasiswa. Jurnal Edukasi Citra Olahraga, 5, 219–234. https://doi.org/10.38048/jor.v4i3.5438
Iwon, K., Skibinska, J., Jasielska, D., & Kalwarczyk, S. (2021). Elevating Subjective Well-Being Through Physical Exercises : An Intervention Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(December), 702678. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.702678
Jannah, M., Sholichah, I. F., & Widohardhono, R. (2023). Confirmatory Factor Analysis: Skala Regulasi Emosi Pada Setting Olahraga di Indonesia (IERQ4S) Confirmatory. Jurnal Psikologi Teori Dan Terapan, 14(01), 153–160. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26740/jptt.v14n1.p153-16019
Jannah, M., Widohardhono, R., Asep, R., Purnomo, A., Santosa, R. P., Nugraha, A., Harita, W., Dewi, D. K., Nuryananda, T. F., Halida, A. N., & Maulidiyah, E. F. (2025). Physical activity as a key to happiness in university students : moderated by emotion regulation. Retos, 71, 805–817. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v71.117446
Kamilah, A. N., & Rahmasari, D. (2023). Relationship Between Emotion Regulation and Happiness of Middle Adolescent. Character : Jurnal Penelitian Psikologi |, 10(02), 640–656. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26740/cjpp.v10i2.53973
Liu, J., Gao, S., & Zhang, L. (2022). Effects of Physical Exercises on Emotion Regulation: A Meta-Analysis. MedRiv, Ci. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.04.22277120
Mahindru, A., Patil, P., & Agrawal, V. (2023). Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review. Cureus, 15(1), e33475. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33475
Martín-Rodríguez, A., Gostian-Ropotin, L. A., Beltrán-Velasco, A. I., Belando-Pedreño, N., Simón, J. A., López-Mora, C., Navarro-Jiménez, E., Tornero-Aguilera, J. F., & Clemente-Suárez, V. J. (2024). Sporting Mind: The Interplay of Physical Activity and Psychological Health. Sports, 12(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12010037
Morrish, L., Rickard, N., Chin, T. C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2018). Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Well-Being and Positive Education. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(5), 1543–1564. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9881-y
Nie, Y., Wang, T., Guo, M., Zhou, F., Ma, W., Qiu, W., Gao, J., & Liu, C. (2025). The relationship between physical activity, life satisfaction, emotional regulation, and physical self esteem among college students. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 15899. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00651-w
Potoczny, W., Herzog-Krzywoszańska, R., & Krzywoszański, Ł. (2025). Regular Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction: Unpacking the Roles of Self-Control and Emotion Regulation. Applied Sciences, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/app15041878
Sieniawska, D., Sieniawska, J., & Proszowska, P. (2024). The Impact of Physical Activity on Depression Treatment: A Literature Review. Quality in Sport, 16(SE-Health Sciences), 52858. https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2024.16.52858
Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., Dumuid, D., Virgara, R., Watson, A., Szeto, K., O’Connor, E., Ferguson, T., Eglitis, E., Miatke, A., Simpson, C. E., & Maher, C. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(18), 1203–1209. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
Tian, J., Zhang, M., Zhou, H., & Wu, J. (2021). College Satisfaction, Sense of Achievement, Student Happiness and Sense of Belonging of Freshmen in Chinese Private Colleges: Mediation Effect of Emotion Regulation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211736
Wang, K., Li, Y., Zhang, T., & Luo, J. (2022). The Relationship among College Students’ Physical Exercise, Self-Efficacy, Emotional Intelligence, and Subjective Well-Being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811596
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/faa83413-d89e-4be9-bb01-b24671aef7ca/content
Zhang, Z., & Chen, W. (2019). A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20(4), 1305–1322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9976-0
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fikri Alvian, Rania Azzahra Nur Imani, Nabila Rachman, Kususanto Ditto Prihadi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract views: 0
,
PDF Downloads: 0
