From: University of Gothenburg
November 9,
2021 --- Both moderate and strenuous exercise alleviate symptoms of anxiety,
even when the disorder is chronic, a study led by researchers at the University
of Gothenburg shows.
The study, published in the Journal of
Affective Disorders, is based on 286 patients with anxiety syndrome, recruited
from primary care services in Gothenburg and the northern part of Halland
County. Half of the patients had lived with anxiety for at least ten years.
Their average age was 39 years, and 70 percent were women.
Through drawing of lots, participants
were assigned to group exercise sessions, either moderate or strenuous, for 12
weeks. The results show that their anxiety symptoms were significantly
alleviated even when the anxiety was a chronic condition, compared with a
control group who received advice on physical activity according to public
health recommendations.
Most individuals in the treatment groups
went from a baseline level of moderate to high anxiety to a low anxiety level
after the 12-week program. For those who exercised at relatively low intensity,
the chance of improvement in terms of anxiety symptoms rose by a factor of
3.62. The corresponding factor for those who exercised at higher intensity was
4.88. Participants had no knowledge of the physical training or counseling
people outside their own group were receiving.
“There was a significant intensity trend
for improvement — that is, the more intensely they exercised, the more their
anxiety symptoms improved,” states Malin Henriksson, doctoral student at
Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, specialist in general
medicine in the Halland Region, and the study's first author.
Importance of strenuous exercise
Previous studies of physical exercise in
depression have shown clear symptom improvements. However, a clear picture of
how people with anxiety are affected by exercise has been lacking up to now.
The present study is described as one of the largest to date.
Both treatment groups had 60-minute
training sessions three times a week, under a physical therapist’s guidance.
The sessions included both cardio (aerobic) and strength training. A warmup was
followed by circle training around 12 stations for 45 minutes, and sessions
ended with cooldown and stretching.
Members of the group that exercised at a
moderate level were intended to reach some 60 percent of their maximum heart
rate — a degree of exertion rated as light or moderate. In the group that
trained more intensively, the aim was to attain 75 percent of maximum heart
rate, and this degree of exertion was perceived as high.
The levels were regularly validated
using the Borg scale, an established rating scale for perceived physical
exertion, and confirmed with heart rate monitors.
New, simple treatments needed
Today’s standard treatments for anxiety
are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychotropic drugs. However, these
drugs commonly have side effects, and patients with anxiety disorders
frequently do not respond to medical treatment. Long waiting times for CBT can
also worsen the prognosis.
The present study was led by Maria
Åberg, associate professor at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska
Academy, specialist in general medicine in Region Västra Götaland’s primary
healthcare organization, and corresponding author.
“Doctors in primary care need treatments
that are individualized, have few side effects, and are easy to prescribe. The
model involving 12 weeks of physical training, regardless of intensity,
represents an effective treatment that should be made available in primary
health care more often for people with anxiety issues,” Åberg says.
Title: Effects of exercise on
symptoms of anxiety in primary care patients - A randomized controlled trial
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