In 1984, a report from a National Institute of Mental Health panel indicated that there were positive effects from acute and chronic exercise on anxiety and depression.
Exercise is known to effectively manage stress, anxiety, depression and other undesirable mood states. Exercise has a low to moderate anxiety-reducing effect. It can reduce long term anxiety tendencies and single exercise session can reduce short-term anxiety.
Aerobic exercise has a small-to-moderate effect on reducing tension, depression, fatigue and confusion and improves vigor.
Many physicians recommend exercise for their depressed and anxious patients, and the third edition of the Practice Guidelines published in 2010 supports exercise as a reasonable addition to treatment for major depressive disorder and as a primary initial treatment for mild depression by patient request.
The positive alliance between exercise and mental health has long been acknowledged, recognized nearly 100 years ago, with exercise being used as a component of recreational therapy for psychiatric patients.
Mental Health Benefits of Exercise