Exercise or Relaxation for Feeling Better?
A randomized controlled trial of supervised group exercise therapy in patients with clinical depressive and anxiety disorders: the challenge of patient compliance
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise therapy had no advantage over relaxation despite being longer and more intense.
Exercise is often promoted as a powerful natural antidepressant, so it’s surprising that a much shorter and simpler relaxation program worked just as well.
Practical Takeaways
Try structured relaxation (like guided breathing or mindfulness groups) if exercise feels too overwhelming when depressed.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise therapy had no advantage over relaxation despite being longer and more intense.
Exercise is often promoted as a powerful natural antidepressant, so it’s surprising that a much shorter and simpler relaxation program worked just as well.
Practical Takeaways
Try structured relaxation (like guided breathing or mindfulness groups) if exercise feels too overwhelming when depressed.
Publication
Journal
European Psychiatry
Year
2025
Authors
Q. Zhai, M. Folkesson, C. Hörnsten, J. Persson, S. Montgomery, Y. Freund-Levi
Related Content
Claims (6)
For adults with depression or anxiety, going to group exercise or group relaxation sessions helps just about the same in reducing symptoms—neither one seems to work better than the other after 12 weeks.
Adults with depression or anxiety who try group exercise therapy are more likely to quit—over half of them—compared to far fewer who drop out of relaxation groups. This shows that sticking with exercise treatment might be tough for this group.
If you're a student and dealing with depression or anxiety, you might be more likely to quit group therapy. But if you're taking sleep meds, you're more likely to stick with it.
Having someone guide and check in on your exercise and eating habits helps you stick with it, try harder, and track your food more accurately.
If you're an adult with depression and anxiety, joining a supervised group exercise program might help reduce your symptoms—on average, people who finish the 19-week program feel noticeably better.