Effect of Exercise on Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

The phrase, sound mind in a sound body was at first
used by Homer in ancient Greece1. Today anxiety and
depression have become one of the most common
disorders, not only in the developed world but also in
Pakistan. They represent a significant component of the
global burden of disease, and are proposed to become
the second most common cause of disability by 20202.
Research on depression and anxiety has shown that
physical exercise is a newer modality to improve mood
and decrease anxiety. For mild to moderate depression,
the effect of exercise parallels psychotherapy as well as
pharmacotherapy. Even for severe depression, exercise
appears to be a valued adjuvant therapy to the conven-
tional medical treatment3.