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Physical Exercise for Human Health pp 345–352Cite as

Exercise and Anxiety

Part of the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series (AEMB,volume 1228)

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are a group of highly prevalent mental health conditions that can have a debilitating impact on daily functioning and well-being. They can co-occur with other mental health disorders, such as depression. People with anxiety disorders are also at an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Physical activity appears to be protective against anxiety disorders in clinical and nonclinical populations. Exercise, a subset of physical activity, has been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety. The mechanisms through which exercise produces these effects are likely to involve a combination of biological and psychological factors. Physical activity may also be useful in reducing the symptoms of comorbid mental health conditions and the risk of physical health complications over time. Promoting physical activity could be a method of preventing or treating anxiety disorders with a wide range of benefits. However, further research will be necessary to address important gaps in the literature before these approaches can be fully implemented in mental health services.

Keywords

  • Physical activity
  • Exercise
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Depression

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Competing Financial Interests

The authors have no competing financial interests to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK

    Aaron Kandola

  2. Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Brendon Stubbs

  3. Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

    Brendon Stubbs

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  1. Aaron Kandola
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Correspondence to Aaron Kandola .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiac Regeneration and Ageing Lab Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences School of Life Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Junjie Xiao

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Kandola, A., Stubbs, B. (2020). Exercise and Anxiety. In: Xiao, J. (eds) Physical Exercise for Human Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1228. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_23

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