Many older adults have generalized anxiety disorder, a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread that interferes with everyday life. Evidence suggests that physical activity alleviates symptoms of anxiety, but scientists don’t know how much activity is optimal. A recent study found that older adults who engaged in regular physical activity were 47 percent less likely to experience symptoms of anxiety than those who engaged in no activity.

Researchers drew on data from more than 7,600 older adults enrolled in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). They gathered information about the participants' physical activity levels, worry symptoms, and anxiety levels over ten years. They assessed the participants' activity levels and categorized them as having no, low, medium, or high activity levels.

They found that participants with high activity levels were 31 percent less likely to develop anxiety than those with no activity. However, participants who engaged in even minimal moderate-intensity physical activity – equivalent to just 10 minutes a day, five times a week – were 47 percent less likely to develop anxiety than those with no activity.

These findings suggest that even a small amount of physical activity has robust effects on mood in older adults, markedly reducing the risk of developing anxiety. They also align with previous research, which found that older adults enrolled in TILDA who met WHO physical activity guidelines were 63 percent less likely to develop generalized anxiety disorder than those who did not.

Exercise supports the health of pericytes, tiny contractile cells surrounding the brain’s capillaries that regulate vascular blood flow and maintain blood-brain barrier integrity. Pericytes detach from the blood vessels in aging, driving the pathophysiology of neurological dysfunction, vascular dementia, and mood disorders like anxiety. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Axel Montagne.