Anxiety effectively treated with exercise

Date:
November 9, 2021
Source:
University of Gothenburg
Summary:
Both moderate and strenuous exercise alleviate symptoms of anxiety,
even when the disorder is chronic, a new study shows.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
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, now 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.



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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 AAberg, associate professor at the University of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Academy, specialist in general
medicine in Region Va"stra Go"taland'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," AAberg says.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Gothenburg. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Malin Henriksson, Alexander Wall, Jenny Nyberg, Martin Adiels, Karin
Lundin, Ylva Bergh, Robert Eggertsen, Louise Danielsson, H. Georg
Kuhn, Maria Westerlund, N. David AAberg, Margda Waern, Maria
AAberg. Effects of exercise on symptoms of anxiety in primary
care patients: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective
Disorders, 2022; 297: 26 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.006 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211109095348.htm

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