Question: In older adults with anxiety in a ward or community setting, how effective is physical activity (including exercise and physiotherapy), compared to any other intervention, in improving patient outcomes?

Answer:

Limited available evidence suggests that physical activity, regardless of whether it is high or low intensity or home or group-based, can improve some physiological, psychological and quality of life outcomes in healthy sedentary older adults. However, the reliability of this limited evidence is uncertain. There is very limited evidence of questionable strength and reliability, which indicates that there are no effects of physical activity in adults with higher than average ratings for anxiety.