--- title: Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? description: Both aerobic and resistance exercise reduced anxiety and improved emotional control in women with PMS. Resistance exercise was superior to aerobic exercise fo url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-aerobic-vs-resistance-exercise-on-anxiety-reduction-and-emotional-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Randomised trial, 2026 # Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Both aerobic and resistance exercise reduced anxiety and improved emotional control in women with PMS. Resistance exercise was superior to aerobic exercise for reducing anxiety. Strong study design 56 female university students with PMS analyzed (control n=19, aerobic n=18, resistance n=19) ## What they did A randomized controlled trial with 60 female university students with PMS split into aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or control groups. The exercise groups completed 8 weeks of moderate-intensity training. Anxiety and emotional response were measured before and after using mood scales and brain imaging. ## What they found Compared to baseline, both exercise groups showed significant reductions in anxiety scores and faster reaction times on an emotional task. Compared to control, both exercise groups had lower anxiety scores and faster reaction times. The resistance exercise group showed lower anxiety scores and faster reaction times than the aerobic group and greater brain activity in the prefrontal cortex during negative conditions. ## What it means for you Exercise, especially resistance training, may help reduce anxiety in women with PMS by changing both psychological symptoms and brain function. The study is limited to university students and examined one 8-week intervention. 56 participants analyzed 8 weeks of training 19 per group (control, aerobic, resistance) ## About the study Original title Effects of aerobic vs. resistance exercise on anxiety reduction and emotional interference in young women with premenstrual syndrome: A randomized controlled fNIRS study Authors Wu S, Ma Q, Zhan S et al. Journal Journal of affective disorders Year 2026 Study design Randomised trial Participants 56 What was tested 8 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic or resistance exercise Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121988](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121988) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2020 Can teaching about yoga techniques improve girls' knowledge about managing PMS? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Survey study, 2025 Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS, PMDD, anxiety, and depression in rural adolescent girls? Survey study, 2021 Does exercise and diet affect PMS symptoms in teenagers? Survey study, 2021 Does physical activity or age at first period affect how much PMS a teenage girl experiences? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗