About 17% of adults aged 18 to 54 in the U.S. experience anxiety each year. Anxiety disorders are more prevalent than any other type of mental disorder except substance abuse.

Exercise has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety in small to moderate amounts for all types of anxiety disorders. And both acute (short term bouts) and chronic (regular) exercise have been shown to be beneficial. The reduced anxiety post-exercise lasts somewhere between 4 and 6 hours. Studies have also shown that exercise can be considered at least as good as other commonly employed anxiety treatments, and exercise has many other physical benefits.

The larger effects of exercise on anxiety reduction are shown when:
1. The exercise is aerobic as opposed to anaerobic.
2. The length of the aerobic training program is at least 10 weeks and preferably greater than 15 weeks in duration.
3. The subjects have initially lower levels of fitness.
4. The subjects have initially higher levels of anxiety.

Here are some tips to start exercising when you have anxiety:
1. Get your doctor's support
2. Identify what you enjoy doing
3. Set reasonable goals
4. Don't think of exercise as a burden
5. Address your barriers
6. Prepare for setbacks and obstacles

I highly recommend starting your exercise program with a trainer or at least by talking with a wellness coach to make sure you are setting yourself up for success. There is nothing more demoralizing than to get motivated to exercise and then because you weren't properly prepared, you have some kind of setback that stops you from continuing. If you are looking for a healthy alternative for treating your anxiety and a way to reduce medications, exercise is a great option for you when it is designed and performed correctly.