Is exercise a viable therapy for anxiety? Systematic review of recent literature and critical analysis

•Twenty-five randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of exercise interventions from January 2014 to December 2021 were identified.•Thirteen trials enrolled participants with heightened anxiety at baseline.•Twelve trials enrolled participants in which high anxiety was not a prerequisite but served as a primary outcome.•Eighteen of 25 RCTs either had equivocal findings or found that exercise did not improve anxiety.•Taken together, available evidence does not provide strong support for the efficacious use of exercise to treat anxiety.