The Effects of Aerobic Versus Anaerobic Exercise on Anxiety Sensitivity

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Research has demonstrated that regular physical exercise can have salubrious effects on a variety of physical and mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety; however, little is known regarding whether alternative forms of exercise may impact AS. The present study examined the comparative effects of anaerobic exercise and aerobic exercise on AS among individuals with elevated AS. Twenty-four college students with elevated AS were randomly assigned to complete 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, or no exercise condition. Results indicated that AS scores generally declined over time, with scores decreasing from baseline to session three, p = .02, d = .9. The results suggest that anaerobic exercise significantly decreased AS scores over time, p = .03, d = .85, whereas aerobic exercise did not display significant reduction in AS over time, p = .22, d =.81. Although change scores for the aerobic condition did not significantly differ from the control condition, the observed effect sizes were comparable to those noted in previous research. The implications of these results and potential directions for further research are discussed.