Background: Exercise training may be especially helpful for
patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). We conducted
a randomized controlled trial to quantify the effects
of 6 weeks of resistance (RET) or aerobic exercise training
(AET) on remission and worry symptoms among sedentary
patients with GAD. Methods: Thirty sedentary women aged
18–37 years, diagnosed by clinicians blinded to treatment allocation
with a primary DSM-IV diagnosis of GAD and not engaged
in any treatment other than pharmacotherapy, were
randomly allocated to RET, AET, or a wait list (WL). RET involved
2 weekly sessions of lower-body weightlifting. AET involved
2 weekly sessions of leg cycling matched with RET for
body region, positive work, time actively engaged in exercise,
and load progression. Remission was measured by the
number needed to treat (NNT). Worry symptoms were measured
by the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Results: There
were no adverse events. Remission rates were 60%, 40%, and
30% for RET, AET, and WL, respectively. The NNT was 3 (95%
CI 2 to 56) for RET and 10 (95% CI –7 to 3) for AET. A significant condition-by-time interaction was found for worry symptoms. A follow-up contrast showed significant reductions in
worry symptoms for combined exercise conditions versus
the WL. Conclusions: Exercise training, including RET, is a feasible,
low-risk treatment that can potentially reduce worry
symptoms among GAD patients and may be an effective adjuvant,
short-term treatment or augmentation for GAD. Preliminary
findings warrant further investigation.