Physical exercise and subjective wellbeing among Chinese students in South Korea: the mediating roles of exercise-related psychological needs satisfaction and psychological resilience

As the number of Chinese students studying in South Korea continues to increase, understanding factors associated with their subjective wellbeing (SWB) has become increasingly important. Physical exercise is widely recognized as beneficial for mental health; however, its underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and resilience theory, this study examines the association between physical exercise and SWB, as well as the mediating roles of exercise-related psychological needs satisfaction and psychological resilience. A total of 435 Chinese students from six universities in South Korea participated in the study. Data were collected using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNS-EX), Connor, Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and International Wellbeing Scale (IWB). Correlation analysis and chain mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS macro. Results showed that physical exercise was positively associated with SWB (β = 0.230, p < 0.001). This association was partially mediated by psychological needs satisfaction (β = 0.038), psychological resilience (β = 0.015), and their sequential pathway (β = 0.005), with the total indirect effect accounting for 25.2% of the total effect. These findings suggest that physical exercise is associated with improved wellbeing both directly and indirectly through psychological mechanisms. The results provide implications for promoting international students’ psychological adjustment through structured physical activity.