Here’s some good news for people who suffer with worry or anxiety. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that exercising for at least 30 minutes significantly reduces anxiety.

The authors analyzed 40 studies that involved 2,914 sedentary people with chronic anxiety. That translates into a lot of people who probably used to hate exercise. However, the pain of ongoing anxiety is a strong motivator.

The research abstract does not specify what the “exercise training” consisted of, but “training” implies vigorous effort. If you decide to start exercising so you can stop worrying, get some moral support. You are much more likely to stay with it when you have other people to encourage you and provide accountability. And get the go-ahead from your primary care doctor before you begin.

You may not believe it now, but you have powerful internal resources to free yourself from anxiety’s vice grip. Even if you are exhausted from the daily struggle to control fear, try exercise anyway. Do it as an experiment. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.