Exercising With Anxiety: Can Cognitive Behavioural Techniques Help People With Anxiety-related Disorders Exercise More?

Following randomization, all participants assigned to receive the resistance training intervention will receive a comprehensive exercise program. The exercise program participants will be using is similar to past research using resistance training programs with people with anxiety-related disorders and has been developed and reviewed by a team of certified personal trainers, including the primary investigator. All participants assigned receive this resistance training intervention will complete a total of six sessions with a personal trainer and six session independently over four weeks to allow for a gradual, rather than abrupt, transition to fully independently completed exercise by the 4th week. After this time participants will be encouraged to exercise independently.

This intervention consists four weekly sessions adapted from the Unified Protocol. The first module is Psychoeducation and Motivational Interviewing. During this module, participants will develop an understanding of their own pattern of emotional responding to exercise as well as increasing participants' readiness and motivation for behaviour change.The second module is Cognitive Flexibility, during which participants will learn about how automatic negative interpretations can influence their emotional reactions and prevent them from considering alternative explanations. The third module is Countering Emotion-Driven Behaviours during which participants will identify and counter behaviours used to dampen strong emotions, particularly those associated with exercise. Lastly, module four will use Exposure to external and internal emotional triggers to increase participants' tolerance to the emotions that arise in exercise environments.