Overview
- A randomized controlled trial assigned 102 adults with panic disorder to brief intermittent high-intensity exercise or a relaxation-therapy control for 12 weeks.
- Panic and Agoraphobia Scale scores, along with anxiety and depression measures, dropped in both groups but declined more in the exercise arm, with gains sustained to 24 weeks.
- The exercise protocol combined stretching, 15 minutes of walking, one to six 30-second sprints each with 4.5 minutes of active recovery, and a concluding 15-minute walk.
- Control participants performed segmental muscle contraction followed by localized relaxation, and all sessions used biometric monitoring with no medications administered.
- Participants reported greater enjoyment with the exercise program, and the authors recommend adopting it as an interoceptive exposure strategy within CBT care.