Stockholm: A study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg showed that both moderate and vigorous exercise reduce symptoms of anxiety, even when the disorder is chronic.
The study, now published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, is based on 286 patients with anxiety syndrome who were recruited from primary care services in the northern part of Gothenburg and Holland counties. Half of the patients had been living with anxiety for at least ten years. Their average age was 39, and 70 percent were female. Through lots of drawing, participants were assigned to group exercise sessions, either moderate or vigorous, for 12 weeks.
The results showed that their anxiety symptoms were significantly reduced, even when anxiety was a chronic condition, compared to a control group who received advice on physical activity in accordance with 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 did relatively low-intensity exercise, the likelihood of improvement in anxiety symptoms increased by a factor of 3.62. The corresponding factor was 4.88 for high-intensity exercisers.
Participants had no knowledge that people outside their own group were receiving physical training or counseling. “There was a significant intensity trend for improvement—that is, the more intensely they exercised, the more their anxiety symptoms improved,” says Malin Henriksson, a doctoral student at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, who is a professor of general medicine. are experts. Holland Region, and first author of the study.
Previous studies of physical exercise in depression have shown clear symptom improvement. However, a clear picture of how exercise affects people with anxiety is not yet known. The current study is described as one of the largest to date. Both treatment groups had 60-minute training sessions three times a week under the guidance of a physical therapist.
The sessions included both cardio (aerobic) and strength training. A warmup was followed by circle training around 12 stations for 45 minutes, and the session ended with a cool down and stretching.
Members of the group who exercised at a moderate level intended to reach about 60 percent of their maximum heart rate — a degree rated as mild or moderate. The group that did the more intense training aimed to achieve 75 percent of the maximum heart rate, and this degree of exertion was considered high.
Levels were routinely validated using the Borg scale, an established rating scale for perceived physical exertion, and confirmed with a heart rate monitor. Today’s standard treatments for anxiety are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychotropic medications. However, these drugs usually have side effects, and patients with anxiety disorders often do not respond to medical treatment.
Long waits for CBT can also worsen the prognosis. The current study was led by Associate Professor Maria Eberg at the Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg, a specialist in general medicine at the Primary Health Organization of the region Textile Gotland, and corresponding author.
“Doctors in primary care need treatments that are personalized, have few side effects, and are easy to prescribe. The model consisting of 12 weeks of physical training, regardless of intensity, represents an effective treatment Primary health care should be made available more often in people with anxiety issues,” Eberg says.
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