Exercise Reduces Anxiety From Chronic Illness

Many health problems, from heart disease to cancer, come with a free helping of anxiety. Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have found that one good (meaning more healthful than pharmaceutical solutions) way to relieve at least some of that anxiety is exercise. Business Week reports that researchers reviewed 40 trials that included 2,914 people with various
medical conditions, including heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer
and chronic pain from arthritis. In 90 percent of the studies, people
assigned an exercise program had fewer symptoms of anxiety — including
feelings of worry, apprehension and nervousness — than did those not
assigned to exercise. Regular exercise was shown to reduce anxiety symptoms by 20
percent. How much exercise is enough exercise? The researchers found that exercising for 30 minutes was more effective in reducing anxiety
than shorter periods of exercise, and that exercise
programs that lasted three to 12 weeks were more effective than
programs that ran more than 12 weeks.  Read an abstract of the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Read more in Business Week.