The evidence base for the efficacy of physical exercise in reducing anxiety symptoms is smaller than that for depression; but nonetheless indicates that exercise is efficacious in alleviating symptoms of anxiety [711]. Aerobic and non-aerobic exercise have been found to be as effective as CBT [199], with reductions in anxiety, tension, and irritability observed among those with GAD who participated in resistance training and aerobics [664, 741]. Regular walking has also been found to enhance the efficacy of CBT across different anxiety disorders [742]. Regular exercise was been found to produce greater reductions in anxiety than relaxation for those with panic disorder [743], but is less effective than pharmacotherapy [744] or group delivered CBT [745].
Two reviews reporting secondary psychological outcomes of studies examining the effect of physical activity among people with AOD use found improvements in both AOD use and anxiety [185, 186]. Findings indicate that both aerobic and anaerobic training may be effective, over an optimal duration of 9 weeks [746]. However, there is mixed evidence regarding the optimal intensity, with some studies finding support for light to moderate exercise, and others finding larger effect sizes with higher intensity training [186].