Preprint · Jan 2026
Effects of Structured Step-Aerobics Interventions on Psychological Well-Being in Nonclinical Populations: A Systematic Review
By Gao X
Physical activity and exercise are related but distinct constructs, with exercise defined as planned, structured, and repetitive bodily movement intended to improve or maintain physical fitness (Caspersen et al., 1985). A broad literature now indicates that exercise contributes not only to physical health but also to better mood states, health-related quality of life, and other indicators of well-being (Mahindru et al., 2023; Penedo & Dahn, 2005). Step aerobics is a structured class-based form of aerobic exercise in which participants perform choreographed stepping sequences on a raised platform, usually under instructor guidance and at a prescribed intensity (Hale & Raglin, 2002; Kennedy & Newton, 1997). Because this modality combines aerobic load, coordination, external pacing, music, and group participation, its psychological effects may not be identical to those of less structured or more solitary exercise formats (Gwyther et al., 2018; Kerschan-Schindl et al., 2002a). High-level evidence suggests that physical activity reduces depression and anxiety in nonclinical adult populations and is effective for improving depression, anxiety, and distress across diverse adult groups (Rebar et al., 2015; Singh et al., 2023). Group-based exercise contexts may additionally support adherence and psychosocial benefit through enjoyment, social interaction, and a stronger sense of connectedness (Beauchamp et al., 2018; Gwyther et al., 2018). These considerations are relevant because psychological responses to exercise extend beyond clinical symptom reduction to include affective responses, perceived stress, sleep, self-perceptions, and mental components of quality of life (Mahindru et al., 2023; Penedo & Dahn, 2005). Within step-aerobics-specific studies, transient mood states improved after bench-stepping classes in healthy adults, and acute state anxiety reductions have been reported across repeated weeks of participation (Hale & Raglin, 2002; Kennedy & Newton, 1997). Step-aerobic sessions have also been described as pleasurable in untrained adults, and enjoyment appears to be enhanced when the class climate and instructor behavior are socially supportive (Fox et al., 2000; Kerschan-Schindl et al., 2002b). Over longer intervention periods, step aerobics has been associated with improved sleep quality in adolescents and with improved general health perception or quality-of-life domains in community-dwelling older adults (Dunsky et al., 2017; Hu et al., 2023). The available literature therefore suggests that step aerobics may influence both immediate affective responses and broader well-being outcomes, but the evidence base remains scattered across age groups, settings, and outcome constructs (Hale & Raglin, 2002; Hu et al., 2023; Kennedy & Newton, 1997). Despite this emerging evidence, adjacent reviews have focused on physical activity and mental health in general, dance movement therapy and dance interventions, aerobic dance and cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, or dance-related body image and social physique anxiety rather than step aerobics as a distinct exercise modality (Koch et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2025; Singh et al., 2023; Zhu et al., 2020). Reviews of dance interventions in older adults have also aggregated heterogeneous movement modalities and emphasized physical-health outcomes, making it difficult to isolate the psychological relevance of structured step-aerobics programs (Hwang & Braun, 2015; Koch et al., 2019). Consequently, the literature still lacks a modality-specific synthesis clarifying which psychological well-being outcomes have been studied in structured step aerobics, in which nonclinical populations, and under what intervention characteristics. The objective of this systematic review is to identify, critically appraise, and narratively synthesize the effects of structured step-aerobics interventions on psychological well-being in nonclinical populations. A secondary objective is to examine whether intervention characteristics, including exposure duration, program length, class context, and comparator type, appear to influence the direction, magnitude, and consistency of psychological outcomes.