Is there evidence for exercise reducing anxiety? Anxiety disorders are common and treatment options for GPs are often limited to medication or CBT, say the authors of a 2018 study. A lack of evidence for the effectiveness of exercise for patients who come into surgeries as well as a clarity about the intensity of exercise required to create improvement, may have been preventing more prescribing of exercise by GPs.
So, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis (assessing evidence and data from a number of smaller pre-existing studies) was to assess the use of exercise versus waiting list control groups in the treatment of anxiety and also to assess the benefit of high intensity exercise vs low intensity exercise.
Fifteen studies with 675 patients who had met the diagnostic criteria for
for anxiety disorders or had clinically raised anxiety levels on a validated rating scale were included in the review and meta-analysis. The authors included any aerobic exercise programme that lasted for at least two weeks or exercise that was carried out at high intensity for at least two weeks with comparison groups being a ‘waiting list’ control group or low impact exercise. The authors also analysed long-term follow up scores.
The review found aerobic exercise was effective in the treatment of raised anxiety compared to waiting list control groups (effect size − 0.41, 95% CI = − 0.70 to − 0.12). High intensity exercise programmes showed greater effects than low intensity programmes.
The study suggests that exercise programmes are a viable treatment option for the treatment of anxiety in GP surgeries.
Comment: This and other studies into exercise benefits could be useful for Personal Trainers and/or gyms looking to create links with GP surgeries.
Links
Aylett E, Small N and Bower P, Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice – a systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Health Services, July 2018. Click here