Exercise Helps People Cope with Illness

(February 23, 2010) - As a coping mechanism, exercise ranks pretty high. The anxiety (Read about "Anxiety") that often accompanies a chronic illness can chip away at quality of life and make patients less likely to follow their treatment plan. But regular exercise can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, a new study shows.

In a study appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed the results of 40 randomized clinical trials involving nearly 3,000 patients with a variety of medical conditions. They found that, on average, patients who exercised regularly reported a 20 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to those who did not exercise.

"Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that physical activities such as walking (Read about "Walking for Health") or weight lifting may turn out to be the best medicine that physicians can prescribe to help their patients feel less anxious," said lead author Matthew Herring.

Herring pointed out that while the role of exercise in alleviating symptoms of depression (Read about "Depressive Illnesses") has been well studied, the impact of regular exercise on anxiety symptoms has received less attention. The number of people living with chronic medical conditions is likely to increase as the population ages, he added, underscoring the need for a low-cost, effective treatment.

The patients in the studies suffered from a variety of conditions, including heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer and chronic pain from arthritis. (Read about "Coronary Heart Disease" "Multiple Sclerosis" "Cancer: What It Is" "Chronic Pain" "Arthritis & Rheumatic Diseases") In 90 percent of the studies examined, the patients randomly assigned to exercise had fewer anxiety symptoms, such as feelings of worry, apprehension and nervousness, than the control group.

"We found that exercise seems to work with just about everybody under most situations," said study co-author Pat O'Connor. "Exercise even helps people who are not very anxious to begin with become more calm."