Abstract: Abstract：Is there a relation between physical exercise and subjective well-being? The present study answered this question by conducting a questionnaire survey of senior high school students. The sample was obtained through stratified random sampling in the whole country. The country was divided into seven geographic areas from each of which seven cities were randomly selected. Within cities, schools were stratified by various factors and one school was randomly selected from each sector in the cities. Finally, one class was selected from each grade of each school. A total of 2520 questionnaires were sent out and 1968 were returned.
Subjective well-being (SWB) was measured along the five dimensions of positive emotions, negative emotions, life satisfaction, study satisfaction, and physical satisfaction. These measures showed acceptable psychological properties. Factors predicting the SWB were physical self-esteem, personality, interpersonal relationship, and coping, which were measured using the Physical Self-Perception Profile and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The changing of life events variables were measured using a check list of negative and positive life events. To keep a consistent set of life event variables, cases that had negative events were not included in the present study. The sample upon which the present study was based had 803 students.
Results. Demographic variables such as gender and school which showed significant differences in SWB were controlled when examining the relation between physical exercise and students’ SWB. Engaging in physical exercise had a significant effect on each dimension of the SWB (Wilks’ l=0.956，F=7.29，p<0.01). 2）Exercise intensity did not have a significant effect on students’ SWB（Wilks’ l =0.973，F=1.77，p>0.05），but duration of physical exercise did (Wilks’ l =0.851，F=10.7，p<0.01），and the interaction between exercise intensity and duration of physical exercise also showed a significant effect（Wilks’ l =0.942，F=1.92，p<0.05). The structural equation modeling analysis results supported the revised theoretical model of psychological mechanism（CMIN（χ2）/df=4.196，GFI=0.902，AGFI=0.857，CFI=0.866，RMSEA=0.078）.
Conclusions. 1) SWB of senior high school students involves five perspectives, which are positive emotions, negative emotions, life satisfaction, study satisfaction and physical satisfaction. 2) The self-editing scale reflects an overview of the SWB of senior high school students and has high reliability and validity. This measurement tool can be used to study the relation between exercise and the SWB of senior high school students. It can also be used for diagnostic and clinical consultation purposes by the mental health professionals. 3) Senior high school students doing exercise have higher SWB than those not having enough exercise especially with respect to special life satisfaction. Doing physical exercise occasionally did not seem to impact students’ SWB. Long-term physical exercise shows significant effects. Relatively long duration of physical exercise that is of low to medium intensity is positively related to students’ SWB. 4) Physical exercise not only shows direct impact on the SWB of senior high school students but also has indirect impacts through such intervening variables as physical self-esteem, interpersonal relationship and personality

Key words: physical exercise, subjective well-being (SWB), senior high school students, psychological mechanism