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Cited by 908Physical Activity and HealthAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesCardiovascular and exercise physiology

A Meta-Analysis on the Anxiety-Reducing Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercise: Outcomes and Mechanisms

Petruzzello, Steven J., Landers, Daniel M., Hatfield, Brad D., Kubitz, Karla A., Salazar, Walter·1991·Sports Medicine
DOI 10.2165/00007256-199111030-00002
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Abstract

The relationship between exercise and anxiety has been extensively examined over the last 15 years. Three separate meta-analysis were conducted to quantitatively review the exercise-anxiety literature for state anxiety, trait anxiety and psychophysiological correlates of anxiety. Such a procedure allows tendencies of the research to be characterised. The results substantiate the claim that exercise is associated with reductions in anxiety, but only for aerobic forms of exercise. These effects were generally independent of both subject (i.e. age and health status) and descriptive characteristics. Numerous design characteristics were different, but these differences were not uniform across the 3 meta-analyses. For state anxiety, exercise was associated with reduced anxiety, but had effects similar to other known anxiety-reducing treatments (e.g. relaxation). The trait anxiety meta-analysis revealed that random assignment was important for achieving larger effects when compared to the use of intact groups. Training programmes also need to exceed 10 weeks before significant changes in trait anxiety occur. For psychophysiological correlates, cardiovascular measures of anxiety (e.g. blood pressure, heart rate) yielded significantly smaller effects than did other measures (e.g. EMG, EEG). The only variable that was significant across all 3 meta-analyses was exercise duration. Exercise of at least 21 minutes seems necessary to achieve reductions in state and trait anxiety, but there were variables confounding this relationship. As such, it remains to be seen what the minimum duration is necessary for anxiety reduction. Although exercise offers therapeutic benefits for reducing anxiety without the dangers or costs of drug therapy or psychotherapy, it remains to be determined precisely why exercise is associated with reductions in anxiety. Since several mechanisms may be operating simultaneously, future research should be designed with the idea of testing interactions between these mechanisms.

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Authors
Petruzzello, S. J., Landers, D. M., Hatfield, B. D., Kubitz, K. A., & Salazar, W.
Affiliations
  • Arizona State University (US)
  • University of Maryland, College Park (US)
  • Kansas State University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Sports Medicine
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
1991-03
Volume
11
Issue
3
Pages
143-182
ISSN
0112-1642 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2165/00007256-199111030-00002
OpenAlex
W2087952937
Cited by
908
References
167
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 39 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 29
FWCI
6.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Sports Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
Keywords
physical activity, anxiety, state anxiety, trait anxiety, aerobic exercise, exercise duration, psychophysiological correlates, blood pressure, heart rate, electromyography, EEG, relaxation, exercise training
MeSH terms
Acute Disease, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Anxiety, Blood Pressure, Body Temperature, Child, Chronic Disease, Female, Health Status, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Physical Education and Training, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Exercise

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