Does exercise reduce anxiety?Studies Investigating Potential and Pitfalls of Fitness as Therapy

A recent study published in the journal Advances in cardiovascular diseaseResearchers are investigating whether exercise can be used to treat anxiety.

study: Is exercise an effective treatment for anxiety? A systematic review of recent literature and critical analysis. Image credit: GP PIXSTOCK / Shutterstock.com

Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Lifestyle Psychiatry It recognizes the impact of various health behaviors such as nutrition, sleep, smoking and physical activity on mental health.

Physical exercise is a well-known health behavior that provides both physical and psychological benefits. In fact, exercise is now recommended as the primary treatment for mild to moderate depression and as an adjunctive treatment for severe psychiatric disorders. However, the effects of exercise on anxiety have not been studied as extensively as their effects on depression.

About research

The current review includes studies evaluating the effects of long-term exercise on anxiety outcomes in people with anxiety disorders or high levels of anxiety symptoms. To this end, a systematic search for English-language peer-reviewed studies was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO in April 2022. Included studies provided measurements from participants on symptoms of anxiety-related disorders or increased symptoms of anxiety.

Only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that met the specified criteria were included in the review. These include papers published in English in peer-reviewed journals, papers published between January 2014 and December 2021, eligible participants aged 18 and over, and at least 30 participants in the study. and exercise interventions included at least one resistance session. or diagnosed using established procedures such as a psychiatric interview.

In addition to the selection criteria, all included studies included the objective of determining whether exercise contributed to the reduction of anxiety, including control status, exercise intervention, participant demographics, rate of decline, primary outcome, anxiety. scales, and information on anxiety-related outcomes.

The effect of exercise on anxiety is unknown

A total of 7,240 records were identified during the electronic database search. However, after removing 1,952 duplicate entries, 5,288 unique articles remained.

Of these, 98.7% were excluded after title and abstract screening. Finally, the review examined 70 studies that met the eligibility criteria and 25 of his RCTs.

Nineteen of these studies relied on self-report questionnaires to assess preintervention anxiety levels. These questionnaires included the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Anxiety Subscales of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Anxiety Susceptibility Index (ASI), and psychiatric diagnostic screening. Questionnaire (PDSQ), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCL).

Baseline anxiety was assessed using structured interviews such as the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM), and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). evaluated in four studies.

Seven provided conclusive evidence that the exercise intervention group experienced improvement in disability status or anxiety symptoms compared with controls. In two of the 13 studies conducted in people with anxiety, no appreciable reduction in anxiety levels was observed in the exercise cohort compared with controls.

Six studies reported no significant or no change in anxiety levels between those who exercised and those who did not. Results were considered inconclusive or equivocal in 12 studies, including eight trials in people with anxiety disorders. Most studies had mixed results, as anxiety reduction was observed during specific measurement or evaluation periods.

Three studies reported positive results. However, significant methodological limitations have made it difficult to determine whether exercise vaguely reduces anxiety. In addition, four studies analyzed potential mediators or regulators of the anxiety-exercise correlation.

Three studies found that the level of anxiety relief from exercise was influenced by the number of exercise sessions attended or the initial level of anxiety. Specifically, participating in more exercise sessions was associated with greater anxiety reduction, while higher baseline anxiety levels were also associated with greater anxiety reduction. .

Two studies investigated potential mediators, such as participants’ daily step count and increased aerobic fitness levels. However, these analyzes did not yield significant results.

Conclusion

Due to the limited number of reliable studies and more than half of the reviewed studies failing to produce positive results, our ability to draw definite conclusions about the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for anxiety in patients is limited. Limited.

More research is needed to determine the benefits of exercise for people with anxiety. Clinicians recommending exercise as a treatment for anxiety should prioritize patient safety, set clear and achievable exercise goals, and closely monitor symptoms.