Effect of a twenty-minute brisk walk on symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, in addition to pharmacological treatment—A randomized controlled trial

Anxiety disorders manifest across the lifespan and are characterized by excessive symptoms of fear and anxiety over a prolonged period, accompanied by behavioural changes and non-specific physiological arousal. It results in significant distress, functional impairment, disability, diminishment of educational and economic potential, and lowered quality of life. It is the world’s most common mental disorder, affecting 301 million people in 2019.  Women are more affected by anxiety disorders than men. Approximately 1 in 4 people with anxiety disorders receive treatment for this condition. The current prevalence of anxiety disorders (including PTSD and OCD) in India is 2.94%, according to the National Mental Health Survey 2016. Brisk walking is a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, characterized by a faster pace than a stroll, typically around 3 miles per hour (or 100 steps per minute), and it raises your heart rate and breathing. Previous studies have demonstrated that moderate exercise, like brisk walking, improves depression, anxiety, and mental health in individuals. In the present study, we aimed to find the association between brisk walking and anxiety disorders among adults.

Brisk walking for 20 minutes as a lifestyle modification will be advised over pharmacological treatment in one group, while the other group will receive purely pharmacological treatment. Compliance with brisk walking was assessed by giving a semi-structured self-reporting questionnaire to participants. The anxiety symptoms at baseline will be assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and repeated at the end of 2 weeks and 4 weeks. The assessor will be blinded to which group the participants belong.