The aim of this research was to explore the effect of exercise atmosphere (EA) on the flow experience (FE) and subjective well-being (SWB) of middle school students and further analyze the mediating effect of FE between EA and SWB, and to provide theoretical references for improving middle school students' SWB. A cross-sectional design was used. 1056 middle school students from 6 middle schools in Sichuan, China, voluntarily completed the Exercise Atmosphere Scale (EAS), Short (9-item) Dispositional Flow Scales (SDFS-2), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SLS). The data collected for this investigation were processed using SPSS 19.0 and Process 3.0. EA could positively predict FE and SWB. FE could positively predict SWB. FE partially mediated the relationship between EA and SWB. The study demonstrated the mediating effect of FE between EA and middle school students' SWB. It was proposed that the positive EA contributes to the emergence of FE during physical exercise in middle school students, which leads to a better sense of SWB.
