Effects of Exercise on Mental and Physical Health Parameters of Persons With Schizophrenia

Abstract

Although the benefits of exercise are well documented, few published research studies have examined exercise in persons with schizophrenia. This pilot examined a 16-week walking program for outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia (N = 10). Six-minute walking distance, body mass index, percent body fat and severity of psychiatric symptoms were measured. Experimental participants in the walking group experienced significant reductions in body fat (p = 0.03) compared to a control group not participating in the exercises during the same time period. Experimental participants also had greater aerobic fitness, lower body mass indexes, and fewer psychiatric symptoms than controls at the conclusion of the program. Research is needed to identify effective exercise interventions and feasible delivery modalities for persons with schizophrenia in community settings.

Lifestyle Interventions for Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Four studies did not specify medication inclusion criteria, but they did enumerate in a general manner (for example, second-generation antipsychotic medications) the type of medications that participants were taking at the time of enrollment (18,23,30,33). The rest of the studies specified medication inclusion criteria that were either restricted to monotherapy with one antipsychotic medication at the time of enrollment (26,27) or combination treatment of one antipsychotic with other psychotropics (16,20,21,24,25,31,32,36).…”

Selection, Use and Psychometric Properties of Physical Activity Measures to Assess Individuals with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Synthesis

“…19 studies utilised SRQs Archie et al, 2007Arbour, Faulkner, & Cohn, 2010;Brown, Birtwistle, Roe, & Thompson, 1999, Brown, Goetz, Van Sciver, Sullivan, & Hamera, 2006Dubbert et al, 2006;Ellingrod et al, 2011;Elmslie, Mann, Silverstone, Williams, & Romans, 2001;Faulkner et al, 2006;Lassenigus, kerlind, Wiklund-Gustin, Arman, & Söderlund, 2013;Lindamer et al, 2008;McLeod, Jaques, & Deane, 2009;Osborn, Nazareth, & King, 2007;Ratliff et al, 2012;Ussher, 2003;Ussher, Doshi, Sampuran, & West, 2011;Van Citters et al, 2010;Vancampfort, Probst, Knapen, Carraro, & De Hert, 2012. Excluded studies (with reason) 55 did not use an outcome measure that provided an assessment of the three fundamental domains of physical activity Acil, Dogan, & Dogan, 2008;Adams, 1995;Aquila, 2000;Archie, Wilson, Osborne, Hobbs, & McNiven, 2003;Ball, Coons, & Buchanan, 2001;Barton, Griffin, & Pretty, 2012;Beebe et al, 2005;Bobes et al, 2010a,b, Bobes, Arango, Garcia-Garcia, & Rejas, 2010bBrill et al, 2007;Brunero & Lamont, 2010;Buhagiar, Parsonage, & Osborn, 2011;Centorrino et al, 2006;Charmove, 1986;Chuang, Mansell, & Pattern, 2008;Crone et al, 2004;Daumit et al, 2005;Davidson et al, 1999Davidson et al, , 2001…”

A 20-week program of resistance or concurrent exercise improves symptoms of schizophrenia: results of a blind, randomized controlled trial

“…4 The important mental and physical benefits of exercise in patients with schizophrenia include improvement of symptoms, 5,6 a decreased need for care, 7 improved quality of life, 8 increased cardiorespiratory capacity, 9 increased muscle strength, 10 and increased functional capacity. 5 Studies of physical exercise among patients with schizophrenia have examined aerobic exercise, 6,9,11 which is characterized by repeated rhythmic movements of the large muscle groups of the body, such as those in the arms and legs. Aerobic exercise mostly uses aerobic metabolism to produce energy; its adaptations are related to increases in maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2max ) and the ability of skeletal muscles to generate energy via oxidative metabolism.…”