Personalized exercise interventions for doctoral students’ mental health: A step beyond one size fits all

Table 1 Symptom-specific exercise modalities, mechanisms and assessment scales for doctoral students

Mental health symptom	Targeted exercise	Core mechanism	Assessment scale
Anxiety	Baduanjin, ball sports, swimming	Regulates autonomic nervous system; soothing auditory/rhythmic stimulation	Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale
Depression	Team sports, group yoga	Alleviates social isolation; enhances social cohesion	Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Stress	Morning jogging, Baduanjin	Balances HPA axis; relieves acute stress	Perceived Stress Scale-10
Daytime sleepiness	Morning jogging	Regulates circadian rhythm; improves daytime alertness	Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Insomnia	Resistance training, yoga	Induces muscle fatigue; relaxes muscles/regulates breathing	Insomnia Severity Index
Poor sleep quality	Resistance training, yoga	Improves sleep architecture; promotes physical relaxation	Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

HPA: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal.