Anxiety Sensitivity Mediates The Relationship Between Exercise Frequency And Anxiety

The anxiolytic effects of regular exercise have been well documented, though the mechanisms through which exercise leads to reductions in anxiety remain unclear. In recent years, there has also been mounting research indicating that exercise reduces anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of anxiety sensations, a known vulnerability factor for the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether anxiety sensitivity mediates the relation between exercise frequency and anxiety symtoms in a large community sample of 954 western North Carolina residents. Results indicated that exercise frequency was negatively correlated with anxiety sensitivity and anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity significantly mediated the relation between exercise frequency and anxiety symptoms. These findings provide additional evidence supporting the inverse association between exercise and anxiety, and suggest that anxiety sensitivity is one mechanism through which exercise reduces anxiety. The implications of these findings for clinicians and future research are discussed.