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A new study shows that maximal exercise relieves chronic anxiety better than drugs or therapy. The scientists concluded that "simpler" treatments than drugs and therapy, which are expensive and sometimes ineffective for patients, are needed to address anxiety.
Researchers in Sweden studied how anxiety symptoms decreased over 12 weeks as a result of both "moderate" and "vigorous" cardio and strength training. The new study was conducted by scientists from the University of Gothenburg.
For the experiment, scientists recruited 286 patients with anxiety syndrome. Their average age was 39, and 70 percent were women. About half of the participants had lived with anxiety for more than 10 years.
Both treatment groups performed 60-minute exercises three times a week under the guidance of a physical therapist.
Participants then self-reported the severity of anxiety symptoms, including nervousness, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, and tremors.
The results show that their anxiety symptoms were significantly alleviated, even when the anxiety was a chronic condition, compared to a control group who received physical activity advice according to public health guidelines.
According to scientists, sports exercises effectively alleviate symptoms of anxiety, even when the disorder was chronic.
"These data strengthen the idea of physical exercise as an effective treatment and may be used more often in clinical practice for people with anxiety disorders," the authors of the study conclude.
