EasyBreezyMind
1 peer-reviewed source, DOI-verifiedUpdated Oct 1, 2026How we verify
Most exercise and anxiety research focuses on cardio. This trial tested whether regular strength training could reduce anxiety in young adults.
| Study type | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Who took part | 28 young adults who completed the trial (64% women, average age 26) |
| What was tested | 8 weeks of resistance exercise training following WHO and ACSM guidelines vs. a wait-list |
| Published | Scientific Reports, 2020 |
| Free to read | Full text on PubMed Central |
| Licence | Open access, Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) |
What the researchers did
Participants were randomized to strength training or a wait-list. The main outcome was trait anxiety; worry was measured too.
What they found
- Strength training significantly reduced anxiety symptoms compared with the wait-list, with a large effect (d = 0.85).
- There was no significant change in worry.
What this doesn’t prove
- Only 28 people completed the trial, so the estimate is uncertain.
- A wait-list control can’t rule out expectation effects.
- Participants were young adults without subclinical generalized anxiety.
How to use this
Two sessions a week of basic strength work is a reasonable start. For worry specifically, pair it with Worry Time, which targets worry directly.
Eight weeks of guideline-based strength training significantly reduced anxiety symptoms compared with a wait-list (d = 0.85). Worry did not change significantly.
Summary written by EasyBreezyMind in our own words. Original article: Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Lyons M, Herring MP (2020). Resistance exercise training for anxiety and worry symptoms among young adults: a randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-74608-6. © The authors. Published open access under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence. This summary is educational and is not endorsed by the authors.