The Role of Exercise in Managing Anxiety
We often think of exercise as a tool to “get in shape” or to lose weight—but those goals can take months to show results. What many people don’t realize is that the mental benefits of movement kick in almost immediately. You might not see your muscles changing right away, but you’ll almost always feel better emotionally—sometimes within minutes of finishing a workout.
One of the first things my clients usually notice isn’t stronger legs or better cardio—it’s a better mood. They feel lighter, more focused, and more in control. Some even say it’s the only hour of their day when they feel calm or clear-headed. These are real, physiological effects—not just “in your head.” In fact, science has shown over and over again that regular movement can reduce symptoms of anxiety, improve mood, and help regulate stress hormones in the body.
If you’ve ever gone for a walk to clear your head, hit the gym after a rough day, or rolled out your mat for a yoga session just to feel something shift, you’ve already experienced this connection firsthand. This blog explores the science behind that shift—how movement affects the brain and nervous system—and why exercise is one of the most effective tools we have for managing anxiety.
A Brief History: Movement as Medicine
The idea that exercise can benefit mental health isn’t new. Ancient philosophers like Hippocrates and Galen believed in the healing power of movement, viewing it as essential to both physical and mental well-being. In their eyes, balance in the body led to balance in the mind.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, physicians in Europe and North America were recommending physical activity—especially walking and horseback riding—to treat “melancholy,” an early term used for what we’d now call depression or anxiety. These early prescriptions weren’t backed by modern research, but they reflected an intuitive grasp of how movement could positively affect mood and nervous system regulation.
In the 20th century, interest in the psychological benefits of exercise began to grow, especially after World War II, when mental health became a more prominent concern. By the 1970s and 1980s, researchers started to systematically explore the connection between physical activity and mental health, particularly in relation to depression, stress, and mood disorders. Studies began to show that aerobic exercise could significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety—sometimes as effectively as medication or therapy.
Fast forward to today, and we now have decades of solid evidence: regular physical activity doesn’t just improve physical health—it plays a powerful role in regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, reducing inflammation, improving sleep, and supporting long-term emotional resilience. What was once based on gut instinct and observation is now backed by neuroscience, physiology, and psychology.
In short, we’ve come a long way—from ancient wisdom to modern science—and the message has stayed the same: movement heals.cfd
Why We Get Anxious — And What’s Going On in the Brain
Anxiety isn’t just “in your head”—it’s a complex, full-body experience rooted in your brain, nervous system, and even your gut. While short-term anxiety can be a normal (and helpful) response to danger, chronic anxiety is often the result of an overactive stress system. It can be triggered or worsened by everything from genetics and past trauma to poor sleep, gut health, and even too much caffeine.
Here’s what’s happening under the surface:
🧠 Amygdala Activation
The amygdala is your brain’s fear center. It scans for threats and sounds the alarm when danger is detected. In people with anxiety, this alarm system is often overly sensitive—even minor stressors can feel like major threats. This leads to racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, and hypervigilance, even when nothing dangerous is happening.
🧠 Prefrontal Cortex Dysregulation
The prefrontal cortex helps you think rationally and assess risk. When functioning properly, it can talk the amygdala down. But under stress—or in individuals with chronic anxiety—this connection weakens. The result: it’s harder to calm yourself down or see things logically in the moment.
🧪 HPA Axis Overdrive
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis controls the release of stress hormones like cortisol. In anxious individuals, this system stays activated longer than necessary, leading to a prolonged “fight or flight” state. Over time, this can cause sleep disturbances, fatigue, digestive issues, and weakened immunity.
🧬 Decreased GABA Activity
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter that helps calm the nervous system. People with anxiety often have lower GABA levels, meaning their brains stay on high alert. This explains why many anti-anxiety medications aim to boost GABA, helping quiet the mental noise and physical tension.
Other Factors That Contribute to Anxiety
💥 Trauma & Chronic Stress
Past trauma—especially if it happened in childhood—can rewire your stress response. If your body learned early on to stay hypervigilant, it may struggle to relax, even when life feels relatively safe now. Chronic stress can have a similar effect, gradually training your nervous system to stay in a constant state of alertness.
🧠 Gut-Brain Connection
The gut and brain are connected through the vagus nerve, and your gut produces over 90% of your body’s serotonin—a key mood-regulating chemical. Imbalances in gut bacteria (dysbiosis), inflammation, or poor digestion can all affect brain function and mood. This is why improving digestion and eating a balanced diet often helps reduce anxiety symptoms.
☕ Lifestyle Factors
Certain daily habits can quietly fuel anxiety, including:
Caffeine: In sensitive individuals, even one cup of coffee can spike cortisol and mimic symptoms of anxiety (like racing heart or jitteriness).
Alcohol: While it may feel calming in the moment, alcohol disrupts sleep and lowers GABA levels over time, often leading to rebound anxiety.
Lack of Sleep: Sleep deprivation makes it harder for your brain to regulate emotions and can lead to exaggerated stress responses.
Sedentary Behavior: When you don’t move your body, built-up tension has nowhere to go. Exercise helps release it in a healthy, productive way.
What Happens In The Brain During Exercise?
Now here’s the good news: exercise can positively influence all those areas of the brain affected by anxiety.
Decreased Amygdala Reactivity: Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce the size and responsiveness of the amygdala, which can help calm your fight-or-flight response over time.
Improved Prefrontal Cortex Function: Exercise enhances blood flow and activity in the prefrontal cortex, improving decision-making and emotional regulation. This helps your brain reframe stressful thoughts more effectively.
Balancing the HPA Axis: Exercise regulates cortisol output—especially with consistent, moderate intensity movement. Over time, it can help bring your stress response back into balance, making you more resilient to everyday stressors.
Increased GABA Production: Physical activity boosts GABA levels in the brain. One study found that a single session of yoga can increase GABA activity significantly—almost as much as some anti-anxiety medications (Streeter et al., 2007).
Neuroplasticity & BDNF: Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth and repair of neurons. This promotes greater resilience to stress, improves mood, and even supports memory and learning.
Dopamine, Serotonin & Endorphins: These mood-enhancing chemicals are all released during and after exercise, helping to boost motivation, well-being, and a sense of calm. These neurotransmitters are also involved in antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications—except here, your body produces them naturally.
Different Types of Exercise and Their Brain Effects
Each type of movement affects the brain slightly differently. Here’s how various forms of exercise stack up when it comes to managing anxiety:
1. Aerobic Exercise (Running, Cycling, Brisk Walking)
Best for: Overall anxiety reduction, boosting endorphins, and regulating the HPA axis.
Brain Benefits: Improves blood flow to the brain, increases BDNF, and enhances serotonin and dopamine availability.
Research: A 2015 meta-analysis confirmed that aerobic exercise significantly reduces anxiety symptoms in both clinical and non-clinical populations (Stubbs et al., 2017).
2. Strength Training
Best for: Improving confidence, reducing generalized anxiety, and supporting hormonal balance.
Brain Benefits: Boosts endorphins and BDNF, may improve sleep quality (which indirectly helps with anxiety).
Research: Resistance training twice per week has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety (Gordon et al., 2017).
3. Yoga & Mind-Body Practices
Best for: Calming the nervous system, improving GABA levels, and regulating breath and focus.
Brain Benefits: Increases GABA, reduces cortisol, and encourages parasympathetic nervous system dominance (the “rest and digest” state).
Research: A study by Streeter et al. (2007) showed that a single 60-minute yoga session increased brain GABA levels by 27%.
4. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Best for: Releasing pent-up energy, improving focus, and building mental resilience—in moderation.
Brain Benefits: Triggers a strong endorphin response, improves stress tolerance, and supports dopamine release. However, too much high intensity work may increase cortisol if not balanced with recovery.
Tip: Great for anxious energy types, but balance it with slower-paced workouts during high-stress weeks.
Why Exercise Works for Anxiety
Anxiety isn’t just in your head—it affects your entire nervous system. Exercise helps calm the system down in a few key ways, and there’s growing scientific evidence to support it:
🧠 Burns Off Excess Energy
Anxiety often brings a restlessness or “wired” feeling, linked to increased sympathetic nervous system activity (your fight-or-flight response). Exercise activates the body’s stress response in a controlled way, and after the workout, the parasympathetic system (rest-and-digest) kicks in, helping you feel more relaxed.
📚 Research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry (2013) found that regular aerobic exercise significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety, partly due to this regulation of the autonomic nervous system.
🧘 Increases Mind-Body Awareness
Movement practices like yoga, Pilates, and mindful walking emphasize breath control and body awareness. These forms of exercise activate the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in calming the nervous system and lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
📚 A 2018 review in the Journal of Clinical Psychology showed that yoga can significantly reduce symptoms of generalized anxiety, with researchers linking its effectiveness to improved interoceptive awareness and vagal tone.
😴 Promotes Better Sleep
Anxiety and poor sleep often feed into each other. Regular physical activity—especially earlier in the day—has been shown to increase total sleep time and improve deep sleep quality.
📚 A study in the Journal of Sleep Research (2012) found that individuals with chronic insomnia who began a moderate exercise routine experienced improved sleep patterns and reported lower anxiety levels.
What I’ve Seen Firsthand..
Over the years, I’ve had countless clients tell me that they feel “so much better” after a session—sometimes surprised by how strong the mood shift is. They may have walked in feeling anxious, frustrated, or emotionally drained, and leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more capable.
And that’s what I emphasize to people: you don’t have to wait months to feel better. Yes, visual results take time. But the mental health benefits kick in almost immediately. Even 10–20 minutes of movement can change your state. No one ever says they regret showing up to a session—because mentally, they feel the shift.
Best Types of Exercise for Anxiety
When it comes to anxiety, the best type of exercise is the one you’ll actually stick with. Consistency matters more than intensity, especially when your nervous system is already on high alert. That said, some forms of movement seem especially effective for managing anxiety—both in the moment and over time.
💪 Strength Training
Strength training offers more than just physical gains—it can be incredibly grounding. The focus required for proper form, counting reps, and tracking progress helps bring you into the present moment. Plus, building physical strength often translates to greater mental resilience.
Strength training has also been shown to reduce levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and improve mood. One 2018 meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry found that resistance training significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety, even in people without a diagnosed disorder.
🚶 Walking or Jogging Outdoors
Steady-state cardio like walking or jogging is a tried-and-true method for calming the mind. It helps regulate breathing, promotes endorphin release, and—if done outdoors—adds the powerful bonus of nature exposure.
Spending time in green spaces has been linked to lower levels of cortisol and reduced activity in brain areas associated with rumination. Even a 10-minute walk outside can shift your mood and lower physiological markers of stress.
🧘 Yoga & Pilates
These mindful movement practices combine physical postures with controlled breathing and mental focus. The slow pace and emphasis on breath can reduce heart rate and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, shifting the body out of “fight or flight” mode.
Studies show yoga can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Pilates, while often overlooked in this context, also helps improve body awareness and reduce muscle tension—both key factors in calming the nervous system.
⏱️ Interval Training (in moderation)
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be great for burning off excess energy and improving overall fitness. For some, the rush of pushing through short, intense bursts feels like a release from anxious energy. But it’s not for everyone—especially if your nervous system is already overstimulated.
If you enjoy HIIT, keep sessions short (20–30 minutes), and balance them with gentler forms of movement throughout the week.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, incorporating movement into your routine can be a game-changer—not just for your body, but for your mind. The key is to find a rhythm and routine that works for you. Some days you might need a heavy lifting session, other days just a walk around the block.
Think of your workouts as a mental reset button. You might not always feel like getting started, but you’ll almost always feel better once you’re done. Science backs it, and so do years of client feedback.
Hope that helps,
Happy Exercising!
Robyn
References:
References
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Chaouloff, F. (1997). Effects of acute physical exercise on central serotonergic systems. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
Gordon, B.R. et al. (2017). Resistance exercise training for anxiety and worry symptoms among young adults: A randomized controlled trial and pilot study. Scientific Reports.
Kredlow, M.A. et al. (2015). The effects of physical activity on sleep: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
Meeusen, R., & De Meirleir, K. (1995). Exercise and brain neurotransmission. Sports Medicine.
Rebar, A.L. et al. (2015). A meta-meta-analysis of the effect of physical activity on depression and anxiety in non-clinical adult populations. Health Psychology Review.
Rimmele, U. et al. (2009). The level of physical activity affects adrenal and cardiovascular reactivity to psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Stubbs, B. et al. (2017). An examination of the anxiolytic effects of exercise for people with anxiety and stress-related disorders: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research.
Szuhany, K.L. et al. (2015). A meta-analytic review of the effects of exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Journal of Psychiatric Research.