Healthy Campuses

University students often face high stress and long periods of sedentary study, yet little is known about how daily physical activity influences their stress and academic functioning. This research explored how leisure-time exercise and short activity breaks relate to stress, recovery and perceived study performance among 57 university students over a ten-day home-study period. The […]

The University of New England (UNE) is proudly leading the way as a FISU Healthy Campus signatory in Australia, demonstrating its commitment to creating a healthier, more connected community for both students and staff. While the journey is still evolving, UNE has already made a strong impact through initiatives that focus on social and mental […]

A 2024 randomised controlled trial investigated yoga as a mental health intervention for university students, a population who often face high stress and anxiety. The study recruited 129 students, assigning half to a 12-week yoga program (two 60-minute sessions weekly) and half to a control group. Outcomes measured with validated tools showed that the yoga […]

A 2024 longitudinal study found that even brief physical activity breaks during home study can significantly reduce stress. Leisure-time exercise also plays a key role in helping students recover and contributes to their sense of academic achievement. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating movement into daily study routines to build mental resilience and enhance […]

This research reviews 58 exercise trials, reporting that programs like dance, Pilates, martial arts, and team sports significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while improving mood and life satisfaction in university students. Moderate-to-vigorous activities proved most effective, making them a key investment for student wellbeing. Australian universities should consider embedding exercise programs like these into […]

A 12‑week pilot study at Monash University tested “PEAK – Mood, Mind, and Marks”, a neuroscience-backed exercise program co-designed with students to boost mental and cognitive health. Nearly half of participants reached the goal of exercising greater than three times per week. More importantly, students (notably those previously inactive) saw lower sedentary time, enhanced well‑being, […]

The Victorian International Student Sports Festival (VISSF) returned for its second year, bringing vibrant culture and energetic competition to life at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre last Saturday. The festival welcomed 470 international students from 26 nations and 12 universities for an action-packed day of badminton, basketball, and table tennis. Hosted by UniSport Australia […]

The University of Melbourne Supporting established programs and providing new and emerging activities: Water Safety Program When Lucy arrived in Melbourne from Beijing to begin her Master of Marketing and Communications, she didn’t know a single person. Everything was unfamiliar, from the language to the lifestyle, and while it was exciting, it was also overwhelming. […]

Competitive sport versus social-cultural clubs in campus life. Research indicates that students’ participation in university-based extracurricular activities contributes to their graduate attributes such as leadership, teamwork, communication and resilience. However, it has yet to be determined which types of extracurricular activities are more impactful. Carmel Foley, Simon Darcy, Anja Hergesell, Barbara Almond, Matthew McDonald, Lan […]

As traditional sport participation stagnates or declines, flexible informal sporting forms are increasingly a focus for those with a vested interest in maximising participation in sport and physical activity. This study critiques existing definitions of informal sport as overly binary, largely unhelpful, and conceptually diffuse. We propose a more nuanced understanding of informal sport that […]