14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new study conducted by investigators at the University of Georgia, it would appear that women who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can experience a significant improvement in their symptoms if they start working out.
This discovery is very important because an estimated 90,000 people in the United States alone suffer from GAD. That is the equivalent of about 3 percent of the general population. Finding a low-cost, high-impact approach to treating the condition can reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
Some of the most widely-spread manifestations of anxiety disorder include excessive and uncontrollable worries, which contribute to diminishing patients' quality of life, PsychCentral reports.
UG researchers discovered during their latest study on the issue that regular exercise can help prevent these symptoms from recurring. Working out can also address other aspects of GAD, including fatigue, muscle tension, irritability and poor sleep.
“Our findings add to the growing body of evidence of the positive effects of exercise training on anxiety,” UG PhD student and team member Matthew Herring explains. Details of the research appear in the latest online issue of the scientific journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
“Our study is the first randomized controlled trial focused on the effects of exercise training among individuals diagnosed with GAD. Future research should confirm these findings with large trials and explore potential underlying mechanisms of exercise effects among individuals with GAD,” he adds.
Interestingly, the most significant improvement appeared in a study group that was assigned to lifting weights as a form of exercise. But a reduction in GAD symptoms was observed in all exercise group members, as opposed to control subjects.
“The large improvements found in this small investigation show that regular exercise has the power to help calm women suffering from GAD, even among those who appear to be resistant to treatment using medication,” UG exercise physiologist Patrick O’Connor, PhD, expalins.
The best part of this discovery is that exercising has benefits that go beyond reducing symptoms related to anxiety and depression. Working out also improves muscle tone and the cardiovascular system, in addition to helping to fight diabetes and obesity.