Using Exercise to Enhance Subjective Well-Being Among People With Spinal Cord Injury: The Mediating Influences of Stress and Pain

Purpose: To assess exercise as a strategy for reducing pain and improving subjective well-being (SWB) among people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Randomized controlled trial. Method and Participants: Thirty-four individuals with SCI. Exercisers performed aerobic and resistance training twice weekly, whereas wait-list controls maintained their usual level of activity. Results: Analyses of covariance indicated that after 3 months, exercisers reported less pain, depression, and stress, as well as greater perceived quality of life and better physical self-concept than controls (ps <.05). Regression analyses revealed that changes in pain and stress mediated exercise-induced changes in perceived quality of life and depression. Conclusion: Changes in pain and stress may be mechanisms by which exercise improves SWB among people with SCI.