Adults with depression and anxiety who do group relaxation therapy tend to feel better after about 15 weeks — more than those who do group exercise — and they’re more likely to stick with it and finish the program.

What we've found so far does not support the idea that group relaxation therapy improves depression and anxiety symptoms more than group exercise therapy in adults. The evidence we've reviewed leans against this claim. Our analysis of the available research shows that, based on the one assertion examined, group relaxation therapy does not appear to lead to greater improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms compared to group exercise therapy [1]. In fact, the evidence we've reviewed—70.0 assessments of this claim—refutes the idea that relaxation therapy is more effective [1]. While the assertion suggested that people might feel better and stick with relaxation programs more than exercise over about 15 weeks, the evidence does not back this up [1]. We do not have any studies in our current analysis that support the idea that relaxation therapy is superior to exercise for these symptoms. Because all the evaluated evidence points against the claim, our current analysis shows a clear lean in that direction. However, we also recognize that this is based on limited input—only one assertion was analyzed—and future evidence could change what we understand. We cannot say at this point how much either therapy helps, only that the evidence does not favor relaxation over exercise for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in group settings. We also cannot draw conclusions about why people might stay in one program more than another, as the evidence does not support the claim of better adherence to relaxation therapy. Takeaway: Right now, what we’ve reviewed suggests group exercise may be more beneficial than group relaxation for adults dealing with depression and anxiety—but we need more data to be confident in that picture.