Today@Dal

I am inviting you to take part in a four-week study. As part of the Honours program in Kinesiology at Dalhousie University, I am carrying out a study to determine the impacts of a yoga intervention versus a cycling intervention on stress reduction in university students. As many University students experience high levels of stress, there is a need to create more effective stress management programs. I’m interested in learning the biological impacts of these different exercise types, with regards to their impact on stress. I’m also interested to see if one form of exercise is more enjoyable than the other.


To be eligible to participate in this study, you must:

Be a Dalhousie University student between the ages of 18 and 25;
Not have any injuries that may be worsened by participating in physical activity;
Not have a history of clinical depression or anxiety (treated with or without medication)
Be moderately stressed; and
Be fairly physically inactive.

In addition, if you take any medications, you must not anticipate a change in your medications over the course of the next four weeks. If you are interested in the study, you will be asked to complete a short screening questionnaire to ensure that you meet these criteria.


What are the risks?

The risks of participation in this study include muscle soreness and fatigue. However, these risks are normal and expected for anyone starting a new exercise program. These risks will be minimized by showing you the proper ways to perform exercises, as well as how to safely progress over the four-week intervention.


Why should I participate?

Participating in this study may lead to benefits that include stress reduction and an increase in physical activity levels, which can lead to positive health outcomes. We hope this study will have the added benefit of providing stress-reduction strategies for future university students.



If you are interested in learning more about the study, please contact Kate Robertson by email (kt759673@dal.ca) or telephone (902-494-2579). We would like to thank you in advance for your time and consideration.


Kate Robertson, BSc (Kinesiology)

Dalhousie University, Halifax

902-494-2579

kt759673@dal.ca