Therapeutic exercise is associated with dose-dependent reductions in acute anxiety across psychiatric diagnoses

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  • 1

    Participation in therapeutic exercise significantly reduces self-reported anxiety among psychiatric patients, with 81% showing improvement post-exercise.

  • 2

    Greater engagement in exercise sessions correlates with larger reductions in anxiety, indicating a dose-dependent relationship.

  • 3

    The study involved 179 adult psychiatric patients participating in structured exercise programs, including walking, stretching, and breathing exercises.

  • 4

    Anxiety reductions were consistent across various psychiatric diagnoses, suggesting broad applicability of exercise as an anxiolytic intervention.

  • 5

    The findings highlight the need for controlled trials to further investigate the causal effects of exercise on anxiety reduction.

Original Source(s)

Therapeutic exercise is associated with dose-dependent reductions in acute anxiety across psychiatric diagnoses

  • by Sandra Perunova, Inese Kokina, Indrikis A. Krams

  • March 18, 2026

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