This Simple Habit Can Significantly Ease Depression and Anxiety

From dancing to swimming, exercise may be one of the most effective—and overlooked—treatments for depression and anxiety.

Activities that raise the heart rate, including running, swimming, and dancing, appear to be especially effective at easing symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a large umbrella review and data synthesis published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The analysis pulled together evidence from many previous studies to assess how different types of exercise affect mental health.

The findings suggest that supervised and group-based exercise programs are particularly effective at reducing depression. For anxiety, shorter programs lasting up to 8 weeks and involving lower intensity activity may offer the greatest relief.

Importantly, the review found that every form of exercise studied performed as well as, or better than, medication and talking therapies. These benefits were seen across all ages and in both men and women.

Why Researchers Took a Broader Look

Depression and anxiety affect as many as 1 in 4 people worldwide, with the highest rates seen among young people and women, the researchers note. Previous research has already shown that exercise can be comparable to psychotherapy and medication for reducing symptoms.

However, many earlier reviews focused only on adults or included participants with other health conditions that could influence outcomes. It has also remained unclear how factors such as age, exercise intensity, duration, and supervision affect results.

To address these gaps, the researchers set out to estimate the impact of exercise on depression and anxiety across the entire lifespan. They also examined whether different exercise types, frequencies, intensities, supervision levels, and individual or group settings influenced symptom improvement.

How the Evidence Was Analyzed

The team searched major research databases for pooled data analyses of randomized controlled trials published in English up to July 2025. These trials compared exercise with another activity, a placebo, or no active intervention.

Eligible studies included planned, structured, repetitive, and purposeful physical activities designed to improve physical and mental health. All forms of exercise were considered, regardless of intensity, frequency, or whether they were done individually or in groups.

Results for Depression

For depression, the review included 57 pooled data analyses covering 800 individual studies and 57,930 participants between the ages of 10 and 90. Participants had either a clinical diagnosis of depression or depressive symptoms but no other co-existing conditions.

Exercise approaches were grouped into aerobic activities, resistance training such as strength exercises, mind–body practices including yoga, tai-chi, and qigong, or mixed programs that combined multiple formats.

Results for Anxiety

For anxiety, the researchers analyzed 24 pooled data analyses representing 258 studies and 19,368 participants aged 18 to 67. Exercise types were categorized using the same framework, including aerobic, resistance, mind–body, and mixed formats.

Which Groups Benefited the Most

When the data were combined, exercise showed a medium-sized reduction in depression symptoms and a small to medium-sized reduction in anxiety symptoms. The strongest effects were observed among young adults aged 18 to 30 and women who had recently given birth.

All exercise types were linked to improvements. Aerobic activity, especially when done in supervised or group settings, produced the largest reductions in depression symptoms. For anxiety, aerobic, resistance, mind–body, and mixed exercise programs all showed medium-sized benefits.

Overall, the mental health effects of exercise matched or exceeded those seen with medication and talking therapies.

Study Limits and Final Conclusions

The researchers note several limitations, including differences in how exercise intensity and program length were defined across studies. There was also less pooled data available on how exercise affects mental health across different life stages.

Even so, they conclude: “This meta-meta-analysis provides robust evidence that exercise effectively reduced depression and anxiety symptoms across all age groups, comparable with, or exceeding, traditional pharmacological or psychological interventions.

“Group and supervised formats gave the most substantial benefits, underscoring the importance of social factors in mental health interventions. With evidence that different characteristics of exercise appear to impact depression and anxiety at varying magnitudes, tailored exercise programmes must be prescribed.”

They add: “Given the cost effectiveness, accessibility, and additional physical health benefits of exercise, these results underscore the potential for exercise as a first line intervention, particularly in settings where traditional mental health treatments may be less accessible or acceptable.”

Reference: “Effect of exercise on depression and anxiety symptoms: systematic umbrella review with meta-meta-analysis” by Neil Richard Munro, Samantha Teague, Klaire Somoray, Aaron Simpson, Timothy Budden, Ben Jackson, Amanda Rebar and James Dimmock, 10 February 2026, British Journal of Sports Medicine.
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-110301

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