Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common condition that is characterized by frequent worry and stress. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, this issue can develop in anyone, even children, which is why it's important to find effective and safe treatment methods. Recently, scientists from the University of Georgia found that regular exercise can have a dramatic impact on this disorder.

In the trial, researchers examined two groups of women with GAD. They told one to exercise while the other was instructed to not change their regular routine. The group who worked out at two weekly training sessions reported feeling improvements in their symptoms, such as less irritability, feelings of tension and less pain.

According to scientist Cynthia Suveg, this is an important finding because, along with improving GAD symptoms, exercise is also a healthy habit that individuals should be participating in anyway. 

"The results of this research are very exciting because exercise is available to everyone, is relatively inexpensive and has beneficial effects beyond the reduction of anxious and depressive symptoms," said Suveg."These preliminary findings suggest that exercise may offer another potential treatment option that has few, if any, negative side effects."