Several studies—ranging from those conducted on people with normal anxiety in a laboratory, through uncontrolled studies of patients suffering from various kinds of Anxiety Disorders, to controlled studies of patients with Anxiety Disorders or depression—have shown that exercise decreases anxiety. In one uncontrolled study, agoraphobics were asked to run “at their best speed.” Running produced increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and, in some, trembling— all symptoms these patients associated with anxiety or panic. Having been given a physiologic experience of and explanation for these “panic” symptoms, they were asked to enter the situations they had been avoiding and did so without experiencing panic. It may be that all that the exercise contributed to treatment was a rationale that allowed these patients to perform effective exposure therapy.
Laboratory studies of both normal individuals and those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder who exercised vigorously on a treadmill showed that anxiety decreased substantially after exercise and remained decreased for three to five hours.
Several controlled studies of exercise used to treat mild to moderate depression have shown that anxiety measured on standard self-report questionnaires, as well as depression, decreased and remained at lower levels after exercise. Whether this was a direct effect on anxiety or a result of reduced depression was not clear.
Many questions arise regarding the kinds of anxiety that might benefit from treatment with exercise, the amount of exercise needed (in terms of frequency, intensity, and duration), and the likelihood of relapse when exercise is stopped. Not everyone can undertake an exercise program and not everyone would wish to do so. Exercise is clearly an experimental treatment of Anxiety Disorders at this time and cannot be prescribed with confidence for any specific disorder. Older people considering exercise should obtain clearance from their physician to check for risks of cardiovascular and other medical problems. Anyone beginning an exercise program should start gradually in order to lessen the likelihood of ordinary muscle and joint aches and pains that are so common in those taking up exercise for the first time or after a period of inactivity.