The DOI matches its Crossref record; 121 of the 127 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Exercise as Treatment for Anxiety: Systematic Review and Analysis
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, but few studies have studied exercise in individuals preselected because of their high anxiety. PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to review and critically evaluate studies of exercise training in adults with either high levels of anxiety or an anxiety disorder. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in which anxious adults were randomized to an exercise or nonexercise control condition. Data were extracted concerning anxiety outcomes and study design. Existing meta-analyses were also reviewed. RESULTS: Evidence from 12 RCTs suggested benefits of exercise, for select groups, similar to established treatments and greater than placebo. However, most studies had significant methodological limitations, including small sample sizes, concurrent therapies, and inadequate assessment of adherence and fitness levels. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise may be a useful treatment for anxiety, but lack of data from rigorous, methodologically sound RCTs precludes any definitive conclusions about its effectiveness.
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“Rodriguez-Ayllon et al. (2019) and Stonerock et al. (2015) reported beneficial but heterogeneous effects of physical activity on psychological well-being”
From Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity in University Students: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Stonerock et al. (2015)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“Consistent with previous reviews (Rodriguez-Ayllon et al., 2019; Stonerock et al., 2015), methodological shortcomings such as non-random sampling, lack of control groups, and unvalidated measurement tools remain barriers to drawing definitive conclusions.”
From Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity in University Students: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Stonerock et al., 2015
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Exercise may therefore incorporate gradual exposure with response prevention in the context of training, similar to conventional psychotherapy paradigms using desensitization techniques through gradual exposure (80–82).”
From The Role of Exercise in Management of Mental Health Disorders: An Integrative Review (2021) · cites this paper as [82]
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Cites
1 retracted
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Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Mussgay L, Schmidt F, Morad E, Ruddel H. Does aerobic exercise modulate baroreflex sensitivity in patients with anxiety and somatization disorders? Homeost Health Dis. 2003; 42: 277-287.
- Beck AT, Steer RA. Manual for the Beck Anxiety Inventory. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation; 1990.
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., Firth, J., Cosco, T., Veronese, N., Salum, G. A., & Schuch, F. B. (2017) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.020 · Cited by 666
Morres, I. D., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Stathi, A., Comoutos, N., Arpin-Cribbie, C., Krommidas, C., & Theodorakis, Y. (2019) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1002/da.22842 · Cited by 350
The Role of Exercise in Management of Mental Health Disorders: An Integrative Review
Smith, P. J., & Merwin, R. M. (2021) · Annual Review of Medicine · doi:10.1146/annurev-med-060619-022943 · Cited by 360
Self-citationGordon, B. R., McDowell, C. P., Lyons, M., & Herring, M. P. (2017) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0769-0 · Cited by 306
Moving to Beat Anxiety: Epidemiology and Therapeutic Issues with Physical Activity for Anxiety
Kandola, A., Vancampfort, D., Herring, M., Rebar, A., Hallgren, M., Firth, J., & Stubbs, B. (2018) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0923-x · Cited by 291
“Some evidence suggests that PA-based interventions have been effective in reducing anxiety symptoms without any changes in physical fitness [32 (cid:129)(cid:129) ].”
Influential
Metadata
- Authors
- Stonerock, G. L., Hoffman, B. M., Smith, P. J., & Blumenthal, J. A.
- Affiliations
- Duke University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Stonerock, Gregory L.
- Venue
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2015-02-20
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 542-556
- ISSN
- 0742-5554 (ISSN-L)
- 0883-6612
- 1532-4796
- PMC
- PMC4498975
- OpenAlex
- W2028247430
- Cited by
- 363
- References
- 127
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 8
- FWCI
- 2.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL093374, HL080664-01, R01HL080664)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Keywords
- exercise training, anxiety disorders, anxiety symptoms, exercise therapy, methodological limitations, exercise adherence, physical fitness
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Combined Modality Therapy, Exercise Therapy, Humans
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