Exercise reduced anxiety symptoms with a moderate effect size (Cohen's d = -0.42), with optimal regimens varying by chronic disease status.
Does exercise reduce anxiety symptoms in individuals with high anxiety or diagnosed anxiety disorders?
Exercise is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating anxiety symptoms, with tailored regimens recommended based on the presence of chronic conditions.
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This study aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic effects of exercise in individuals with high anxiety or diagnosed anxiety disorders and to identify optimal exercise prescription parameters. A key methodological innovation of this work is the application of a three-level meta-analytic model, which accounts for effect-size dependency arising from multiple outcomes within studies, thereby improving the robustness and precision of the pooled estimates. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five databases: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. Inclusion criteria: (1) randomized controlled trial (RCT) design; (2) outcomes assessed using validated scales; (3) participants diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or identified as high-anxiety through validated scales; and (4) inclusion of both an intervention group and a control group, with the sole distinction between them being the addition of exercise in the intervention group. Analyses were performed using a three-level restricted maximum likelihood random-effects model. Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials involving 1447 participants were included. Exercise demonstrated a significant anxiolytic effect (Cohen’s d = -0.42, p 3 times per week, and total weekly exercise durations of ≥ 180 minutes. In contrast, individuals without chronic conditions showed more favorable results. The most beneficial exercise regimens for this group included programs lasting 60 minutes, frequencies of 3 times per week, and total weekly durations of > 180 minutes. Exercise appears to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating anxiety symptoms. While chronic conditions may diminish the magnitude of these benefits, tailored exercise prescriptions remain promising. Nevertheless, given the heterogeneity of interventions and limited long-term follow-up across included studies, further high-quality research is needed to confirm the sustainability and generalizability of these findings. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD420251014897. • Exercise can alleviate symptoms in high anxiety or anxiety disordered patients. • A high-frequency, short-duration exercise prescription is advocated for individuals with chronic diseases. • A low-frequency, long-duration regimen is recommended for those without chronic diseases.
Su et al. (Thu,) reported a other. Exercise reduced anxiety symptoms with a moderate effect size (Cohen's d = -0.42), with optimal regimens varying by chronic disease status.
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