Fifteen women with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy were given physical exercise (aerobic dancing with strength training and stretching) for 60 min, twice weekly, for 15 weeks. Seizure frequency was recorded by the patients for 3-7 months before the intervention, during the intervention period, and for 3 months after the intervention. Medication and other known seizure-influencing factors were kept as constant as possible. Self-reported seizure frequency was significantly reduced during the intervention period. The exercise also led to reduced level of subjective health complaints, such as muscle pains, sleep problems, and fatigue. The exercise reduced plasma cholesterol ratio and increased maximum O2 uptake. Because most of the patients were unable to continue the exercise on their own after the intervention period, the exercise effects were not maintained during the follow-up period. The patients were not unwilling to continue the exercise, but it was not sufficient to offer them the possibility of continuing similar types of exercise. We believe that 15 weeks is too short a time to establish a life-style change and that continued physical exercise for these patients requires a well-organized and supportive program, requiring experienced and dedicated instructors.

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The relationships between levels of physical activity and self‐reports of health complaints, job stress and psychological defense were investigated in a broad screening on clerical workers in an insurance company (n= 171). The workers were divided into 4 groups, based on self‐reports of self‐administered leisure physical activity or sports. The highly physically active group (n= 43) had 3 or more sessions of at least 45 min regular physical exercise per week. The moderately active group (n= 31) had 1–2 sessions, the seldom active group (n= 31) less than 1 session per week and the totally inactive group (n= 66). The moderately active subjects reported significantly lower levels of subjective health complaints, including anxiety and depression, and higher job satisfaction than the seldom active and inactive subjects. There did not seem to be any additional benefits related to subjectively reported health or job stress in the group having 3 or more exercise sessions per week. The activity groups also differed with regard to psychological defense mechanisms. The highly active group showed more compensation than less active groups, and the inactive had more projection than the other groups. Projection was related to subjective health complaints.