Weight training, anxiety and depression: what clinical trials show
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A review of 218 trials published in the BMJ ranked strength training among the most effective exercises for depression, and among the best tolerated. What studies say about weights, anxiety and mood, why you do not need to train a lot to notice it and a minimal routine to get started.
In 2024, the BMJ published a review comparing exercise with psychotherapy and antidepressants in people with major depression. Michael Noetel's team at the University of Queensland pooled 218 trials with 14,170 participants. Walking or jogging, yoga and strength training were the modalities with the best results, and strength training and yoga were also the best tolerated by participants.
It is not an isolated finding. Since 2017, the group led by Brett Gordon and Matthew Herring at the University of Limerick has looked specifically at what weight training does for depression and anxiety. What they found has important nuances, especially regarding what is not needed to feel the effect.
Does weight training help with depression?
Yes, according to the available trials. In Gordon and Herring's 2018 meta-analysis, with 33 randomised trials and 1,877 participants, strength training reduced depressive symptoms with a moderate effect (0.66). The number needed to treat was 4: for every 4 people who trained, one improved thanks to the exercise beyond what they would have without it.
The most useful finding for practice is another: the improvement did not depend on training volume, nor on whether participants were healthy or ill, nor on whether they gained significant strength. You do not need to train a lot or set records to notice the effect on your mood.
| Modality | Participants | Effect size (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Walking or jogging | 1,210 | -0.62 |
| Yoga | 1,047 | -0.55 |
| Strength training | 643 | -0.49 |
| Mixed aerobic exercise | 1,286 | -0.43 |
| Tai chi or qigong | 343 | -0.42 |
A more negative value means a larger reduction in symptoms. The effects were proportional to the prescribed intensity: harder sessions gave better results. The review is also candid about its limits: only one study met the criteria for low risk of bias, and confidence in the results was low or very low.
A caveat that is often left out: in the 2018 meta-analysis, trials in which allocation or assessment was blinded showed smaller improvements. Part of the effect may be due to expectations. Even so, the improvement holds in the best-designed trials.
What about anxiety?
It helps too, although the effect is smaller. In the same group's 2017 meta-analysis, with 16 studies and 922 participants, strength training reduced anxiety symptoms with an effect of 0.31. The effect was larger in healthy people (0.50) than in people with a physical or mental illness (0.19), and it did not vary with sex, age, programme length or intensity.
In 2020 they tested it in 28 young adults aged 18 to 40 who did not meet the criteria for generalised anxiety, although on average their worry was somewhat elevated. Eight weeks of a strength programme designed according to WHO and American College of Sports Medicine guidelines reduced anxiety symptoms with a large effect (0.85) compared with the wait-list group. Worry, on the other hand, did not change.
Does being active protect against depression?
Follow-up studies suggest it does. The meta-analysis by Felipe Schuch and colleagues (2018) pooled 49 studies with 266,939 people followed for years. Those with high levels of physical activity had 17% lower odds of developing depression than those with low levels, and the protection appeared in young people, adults and older adults, in every region studied.
| Study | What it analysed | Main result |
|---|---|---|
| Noetel (2024) | 218 trials in major depression | Strength, yoga and walking or jogging among the most effective; strength among the best tolerated |
| Gordon (2018) | 33 trials of strength training and depressive symptoms | Moderate effect, independent of volume and strength gains |
| Gordon (2017) | 16 studies of strength training and anxiety | Small-to-moderate effect, larger in healthy people |
| Gordon (2020) | 28 young adults without an anxiety disorder, 8 weeks | Less anxiety; no change in worry |
| Schuch (2018) | 49 follow-up studies | 17% lower odds of depression with high physical activity |
How much training you need
Putting the results together, the message is simpler than it seems: volume matters little for mood, intensity a bit more and consistency most of all. To start, 2 full-body sessions a week with the basic exercises are enough.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Home alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 | Squat holding a backpack |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 | Push-ups |
| Cable or dumbbell row | 3 × 8-12 | Resistance band row |
| Romanian deadlift | 2 × 8-12 | Single-leg glute bridge |
| Plank | 2 × 30-45 seconds | The same |
End your sets 1-3 reps short of failure: demanding, but without having to wring yourself out every time. If you are not sure how to judge it, we explain it in RIR and RPE. If leaving the house is hard, the no-equipment home workout covers the same movements, and if you want the full two-day plan, it is in the 2-day gym routine.
When getting started is hard
- Lower the bar: a 20-minute session you actually do is worth more than a 60-minute one you never start.
- Set a day and time: deciding every day whether to train uses up energy you may not have during a bad patch.
- Look after your sleep: poor sleep worsens mood and recovery; we cover it in sleep and athletic performance.
- Do not turn the gym into another demand: if training causes you more anxiety than relief, lower the intensity or change activity. Walking counts too.
What exercise does not replace
Exercise is an evidence-based treatment, but not the only one and not always enough. If you have symptoms of depression or anxiety that last for weeks or stop you from living your life, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional: training can be added to psychotherapy or medication. And if at any point you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact your local emergency services or a crisis line: in the United States you can call or text 988, and in the UK and Ireland you can call Samaritans free on 116 123, at any time.
When you want to start, the Progrevia generator creates a 2- or 3-day routine matched to your level and the equipment you have, with no account needed. If your schedule is the problem, also see Japanese interval walking: 30 minutes you can do outdoors.
- Noetel M, Sanders T, Gallardo-Gómez D, et al. Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2024;384:e075847.
- Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Hallgren M, Meyer JD, Lyons M, Herring MP. Association of efficacy of resistance exercise training with depressive symptoms: meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis of randomized clinical trials. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018;75(6):566-576.
- Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Lyons M, Herring MP. The effects of resistance exercise training on anxiety: a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sports Medicine. 2017;47(12):2521-2532.
- Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Lyons M, Herring MP. Resistance exercise training for anxiety and worry symptoms among young adults: a randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports. 2020;10(1):17548.
- Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Firth J, et al. Physical activity and incident depression: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 2018;175(7):631-648.
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Frequently asked questions
Does lifting weights help with depression?
Yes. In Gordon's meta-analysis (2018), with 33 trials and 1,877 participants, strength training reduced depressive symptoms with a moderate effect. In the 2024 BMJ review it was among the most effective exercises for major depression and among the best tolerated.
How much exercise do you need to notice the effect on mood?
Less than you might think. The improvement did not depend on training volume or strength gains. Two full-body sessions a week, with demanding sets, are a good starting point.
Is cardio or weight training better for anxiety?
Both help. With strength training, the 2017 meta-analysis found a small-to-moderate effect on anxiety, larger in healthy people. The most important thing is choosing the activity you will keep doing.
Can exercise replace therapy or antidepressants?
Not always. It is an evidence-based treatment that can be added to psychotherapy or medication, but any change in treatment should be discussed with a professional. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line such as 988 in the US or Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland.
Do you have to train to failure for it to work?
No. In the BMJ review, effects were larger with higher intensity, but leaving 1-3 reps in reserve already allows demanding sets without the extra fatigue of failure.
Informational content based on the available scientific evidence: it does not replace advice from a healthcare professional. If you have an injury or a medical condition, or are pregnant, check with one before changing your training or diet.
