Sweating out anxiety: study tests High-Intensity exercise as treatment
NCT ID NCT04638946
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at whether different intensities of exercise can reduce anxiety in adults with anxiety disorders. 110 sedentary adults with high anxiety sensitivity were assigned to either low-intensity exercise or a program that gradually increased to high-intensity exercise over 8 weeks. Researchers measured changes in anxiety sensitivity and overall anxiety severity using standard questionnaires.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- exercise (low intensity or titration to high intensity)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to ease anxiety symptoms using exercise.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with no blinding, so results may not be reliable or apply to everyone. Exercise may not work for all types of anxiety.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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110 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Finished
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Apr 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria * Males and females ages 18-65 * Primary psychiatric diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, or panic disorder * Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 score of ≥23 (i.e., high anxiety sensitivity) * Currently sedentary (≤60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week for the past 3 months) * Body mass index \<40 * Able and willing to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria * Lifetime history of Bipolar I or II or any psychotic disorder * Bulimia or anorexia in the past 6 months * Substance use disorder in the past 3 months * Current PTSD (past PTSD is allowed) * High current suicide risk (active suicidal ideation with plan and intent) as indicated by a score of ≥4 on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) consistent with a need for referral to higher level of care
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
NYU Langone Health
New York, New York, 10016, United States
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