exercise and anxiety

Whether you're anxious because of a health problem or something else, try to fit 20 minutes of activity into every day.

Don't worry, get moving. Exercise put an anxious mind at ease.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Exercise can relieve everyday stress, and now it seems that regular exercise eases the anxiety that can come with chronic illness, too. A new report on exercise and anxiety from the University of Georgia shows that patients with illnesses like cardiovascular disease, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, psychological disorders, and even cancer can significantly improve feelings of anxiety through various forms for exercise.

THE DETAILS: “The reasons why people feel less anxious after exercise are uncertain. It is probably the result of exercise causing changes in brain neural circuits that underlie anxiety,” says Pat O’Connor, PhD, one of the authors of the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Despite not knowing the exact mechanism of exercise’s anxiety-fighting benefits, the study’s authors reviewed 40 studies and found that activity indeed reduces anxiety in people with chronic health conditions. Based on the physical condition of a patient, everything from low-intensity to vigorous activity, or aerobic to resistance exercise, can help relieve anxiety.

WHAT IT MEANS: The worry and anxiety that come with an ongoing health problem can add to the symptoms of the illness and erode a patient's quality of life, so this is empowering news. And you needn’t have a chronic illness to take advantage of this phenomenon. “Exercise has been found to be effective in reducing anxiety, regardless of the source of the anxiety,” says O’Connor, adding that it’s important to choose an activity you enjoy.

Here are some ways to use exercise to control anxiety:

• Do what's fun. “All modes of exercise seem to work, including weight lifting. Low-to-moderate exercise for 20 or more minutes is suggested,” O’Connor says. Whether it's walking, cycling, running, yoga, or ballroom dancing, you'll be more likely to stick with it if you enjoy it.

• Get a pet involved. Your dog will love exercising with you, especially if you learn some basics of pet exercise.

• Be smart about time. If you like to exercise but have trouble fitting it into your day, see our story on finding time to exercise.

• Check in with your inner child. Think about the things you liked to do when you were young—riding your bike, climbing trees, hula-hooping—and find ways to exercise doing those things again.