Researchers from the University of Georgia reported in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in January 2012 that exercise can reduce the symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in women. The researchers randomly assigned 30 sedentary women diagnosed with GAD to either a control group or six weeks of strength or aerobic exercise training. Exercise training consisted of two sessions a week of either weight lifting or leg cycling exercise. All exercisers demonstrated a significant reduction in worry symptoms and moderate-to-large improvements in other symptoms, such as irritability, feelings of tension, low energy and pain.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worries. Approximately 90,000 Americans suffer from GAD, a condition that adversely affects their health and quality of life.The clinical presentation of GAD typically includes a variety of physical symptoms including fatigue, muscle tension, irritability and poor sleep.