EVOLUTION OF APPROACHES TO PHYSICAL THERAPY USING STRENGTH EXERCISES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2221-1217-2026-1-24Keywords:
strength exercises, physical therapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, therapeutic physical culture, historical analysis, evidence-based medicine, physical activity, rehabilitationAbstract
Purpose of the study: The aim of this article is to Trace the evolution of ideas about the use of strength exercises in the context of physical and mental health (with a focus on anxiety and depression).
Materials and methods. The study is based on scientific and historiographical sources retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Ukrainian academic journals. Historical-analytical and systematic methods were applied: the former covered the historical development of the therapeutic use of physical exercise (from antiquity to the twentieth century), while the latter summarized randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses published between 2018 and 2023 on the efficacy of resistance training in anxiety and depression therapy.
Main results. The idea of the healing power of movement has persisted throughout the entire history of physical culture. In the twentieth century, the Soviet model of therapeutic physical culture and the Western discipline of exercise psychology established the experimental foundation for understanding the antidepressant effects of exercise. In the twenty-first century, a robust evidence base confirms the positive influence of strength training on emotional well-being. Meta-analyses demonstrate that resistance training effectively reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety through a biopsychosocial mechanism involving neurochemical regulation, enhanced self-efficacy, and improved social integration. Recent Ukrainian studies also confirm the beneficial impact of strength-based physical therapy programs on the mental health of students and veterans.
Conclusions. Strength exercises represent an effective, safe, and accessible non-pharmacological tool for the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression. Combining them with psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic interventions forms a new integrative model of physical therapy. Future research should focus on the standardization of resistance training protocols, evaluation of their efficacy across various populations, and integration of such programs into Ukraine’s public health system.
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