Date of Award
Fall 11-3-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Kinesiology (EdD)
Department
Kinesiology
First Advisor
Carl Schlesser
Second Advisor
Katie Fischer
Third Advisor
Filip Jevtovic
Abstract
Perceived stress can interfere with undergraduate students’ concentration, academic performance, and overall well-being. Although regular exercise may reduce perceived stress, demanding academic schedules often limit students’ ability to participate in traditional exercise programs. Exercise snacks—brief bouts of vigorous physical activity dispersed throughout the day—may provide a practical, time-efficient approach to stress management without requiring a prolonged workout. This randomized controlled trial examined whether a six-week exercise snack intervention reduced perceived stress among full-time undergraduate students. Seventy-six participants were randomized to an intervention or control group. The intervention prescribed three one-minute bouts of vigorous bodyweight exercise on three days per week, whereas the control group maintained its usual routine. Perceived stress was measured with the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) at baseline, Week 3, and Week 6. The complete-case, adherence-qualified analytic sample included 52 participants: 34 control and 18 intervention participants. A 3 × 2 mixed-design analysis of variance found no statistically significant Time × Group interaction, F(2, 100) = 0.66, p = .520, ηp² = .013. Baseline-adjusted regression models also found no statistically significant intervention-control difference at Week 3, B = -2.32, p = .157, or Week 6, B = -2.62, p = .122. A broader complete-case sensitivity analysis of 60 participants yielded the same overall conclusion. The hypothesis was not supported. The tested nine-minute-per-week protocol was not established as a stand-alone strategy for reducing perceived stress in undergraduate students. Future studies should compare doses and modalities, improve adherence and intensity measurement, and assess both immediate and longer-term psychological outcomes.