Mind–Body Exercise, Cognitive Reappraisal, Brooding, and Psychological Distress Among Middle-Aged Women

Mind–body exercise may support psychological well-being, but the cognitive–emotional processes associated with psychological distress among middle-aged women remain unclear. This cross-sectional study examined cognitive reappraisal and brooding as potential indirect pathways linking mind–body exercise participation with psychological distress. In May 2026, 423 women aged 40–55 years who had regularly participated in mind–body exercise at least once per week during the previous three months completed a paper-based questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were conducted, and specific indirect effects were estimated using bootstrap procedures. Greater mind–body exercise participation was associated with more frequent cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.430, p < 0.001) and lower brooding (β = −0.274, p < 0.001). Cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated with brooding (β = −0.309, p < 0.001) and psychological distress (β = −0.322, p < 0.001), whereas brooding was positively associated with psychological distress (β = 0.353, p < 0.001). Significant negative indirect associations were observed through cognitive reappraisal (effect = −0.0032), through brooding (effect = −0.0024), and through the serial sequence of cognitive reappraisal and brooding (effect = −0.0010), with all bootstrap confidence intervals excluding zero. These findings highlight cognitive reappraisal and brooding as potentially important cognitive–emotional processes associated with the relationship between mind–body exercise participation and psychological distress among middle-aged women, providing a basis for future longitudinal and intervention research.