Studies continue to uncover the ways different forms of exercise can be advantageous for our mental health, and a new study has drilled into how chronic anxiety might best be treated through such interventions. The authors have uncovered a relationship between the intensity of physical activity and relief from symptoms of anxiety, with those working up the most sweat found to benefit the most.
The research was led by scientists at the University of Gothenburg and was intended to fill a gap in what we know about physical exercise and mental health. Studies have established links between exercise and reduced risk of depression, but the scientists say the connection with relief from anxiety is less clear. So they drew up a study involving 286 patients diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, constituting what they describe as one of the largest studies of its kind to date.
These subjects were divided into groups to undertake different exercise regimes across a 12-week period, defined as either moderate or strenuous. Both groups participated in 60-minute training sessions three times each week involving warmups, 45 minutes of combined aerobic and strength training, followed by cool downs and stretching.
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