It comes from new research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: exercise is beneficial in helping to relieve mental health symptoms.

In fact, researchers say they found exercise may be better than drugs for many people when it comes to managing mental health.

What type of exercise? High-intensity workouts were found to be most effective, with positive results measured in less than 12 weeks.

Those researchers recommend exercise as a mainstay in mental health treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says mental health issues affects one in eight people worldwide. The cost to the world economy totals an estimated $2.5 trillion a year. That number could rise to $6 trillion by 2030.

Mental illnesses are on a list of the most common health conditions in the U.S. One in five Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.

The WHO says during the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers of people reporting anxiety rose by 26%.

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