Today was the beginning of week 9 for us dinosaurs still on the quarter system, and you can feel the growing tension as finals week approaches. Everybody could use some anti-anxiety advice right about now. So a recent article about exercise and anxiety caught my attention.
While I typically bring up the issue of exercise in my discussions of depression, I usually do not discuss it in the context of depression’s relatives, the anxiety disorders. However, in a large meta-analysis of over 40 studies and 3000 participants, a University of Georgia team reported that exercise appears to have a very beneficial role in reducing anxiety [1].
What I especially liked about this analysis is that the researchers used real randomized experiments, not correlational studies. It would be too easy to say that anxiety is lowest among exercising adults, but not be able to comment on the causal nature of exercise in these cases. Instead, these experimental studies showed that exercise does in fact reduce anxiety an average of 20 percent in patients with a variety of symptoms, including heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and chronic arthritis pain.
As the authors point out, exercise is about as low-cost as a “medical” treatment can get. I find it interesting to see how the current discussion of health care costs has spawned a whole new interest in low-cost and preventive approaches. Wellness has always been preferable to having to fix something, and it’s nice to see the medical community go this route.
1. Matthew P. Herring; Patrick J. O’Connor; Rodney K. Dishman
The Effect of Exercise Training on Anxiety Symptoms Among Patients: A Systematic Review
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(4):321-331.
6 Comments
DanielleFitzsimons · March 2, 2010 at 2:07 pm
I agree with this study, I always feel a lot better after I exercise. Durning midterms and finals I spend so much time studying that I don’t put in the effort to exercise when in fact it could really help me during this stressful time. I wonder if exercise also has a catharsis effect?
MaddieFoster · March 4, 2010 at 10:25 am
I also agree with this study. Whenever I am too stressed, taking a run on the beach clears your head and exposes you to fresh air to help you relax. It also helps me to start thinking in a different way about problems or events that happened. However, stress is probably the only thing that makes me resort to running.
laurenshaber · March 5, 2010 at 12:39 pm
I completely agree with this study. Not only does it help me to relax, but it also helps me focus after a workout session. It would be beneficial to students’ grades if they worked out more during the weeks of midterms and finals, but I can say from experience that it is hard to fit it in with last-minute cram sessions (because we all do it at some point!). I wonder how much of an effect it could have on a student’s grade or if it even does? Maybe it’s just the endorphins that make me feel more successful or something..
dennislee · March 5, 2010 at 7:12 pm
I think this study makes a lot of sense and I totally agree with it. I remember being super stressed some days after class in high school. But after my swim team practice, which happened after school, I’d feel more relaxed and felt like I had a fresh start in dealing with my stress. Similar to how we saw the rugby players get ready for “battle”, I feel like exercise is our own way to release any aggression and anxiety physically in a relatively safe manner. So I think it makes complete sense that exercise helps to reduce anxiety.
amber.ullo · March 8, 2010 at 8:05 pm
i STRONGLY agree with this study! Exercise is definitely a stress and anxiety reducer. There have been times during finals week where I work out for 30 minutes just to clear my mind and get a fresh start and it’s amazing the difference it makes. Also, in high school i played water polo and i always enjoyed it because it gave me a chance to focus my mind on other things and just have fun while working out with my team-mates.
alyssa.fantin · March 10, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I usually find it difficult to fit in any type of exercise during during Finals week. It has always been lower on my priority list during the madness of studying. However, I may have to do some reprioritizing next week. Anything that reduces anxiety during Finals week is a blessing!
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