“Exercise treats depression and anxiety.”
Exercise lowers symptoms of depression and anxiety in randomized trials, enough to count as a real treatment.
Regular movement is a real treatment for depression and anxiety, and it works well alongside therapy or medication. It does not have to carry the whole treatment plan, and it is not a reason to stop treatment that is helping.
Pick one activity you can stick with, such as brisk walking, yoga or strength training, and put your first sessions on your calendar this week.
Safety note: Exercise can be part of mental-health treatment. Do not stop prescribed treatment without discussing it with your clinician; start at a level suited to your health and ability.
Talk to a healthcare professional if: low mood or worry lasts, gets worse or gets in the way of daily life, or you take medicine for depression or anxiety and want to change it. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, get help right away.
Large reviews of randomized trials show that exercise lowers depression symptoms by a moderate amount and also lowers anxiety symptoms in people diagnosed with these conditions. Confidence is moderate because people cannot be blinded to exercising and few trials were at low risk of bias, so the exact size of the benefit is uncertain.
Exercise lowers symptoms of depression and anxiety in randomized trials, enough to count as a real treatment. In a review of 218 trials with more than 14,000 people with depression, walking or jogging, yoga and strength training each gave moderate drops in symptoms compared with usual care or a placebo pill. A review of 11 trials in adults diagnosed with depression or anxiety found a moderate drop in anxiety symptoms.
In the depression review, harder exercise gave bigger benefits, and strength training and yoga were the types people found easiest to stick with. Across 97 reviews covering more than 1,000 trials, physical activity lowered depression and anxiety symptoms by a medium amount in many groups, including people with chronic diseases. The depression review's authors called exercise a core treatment to consider alongside therapy and antidepressants, not a replacement for them.
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