4. EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION – RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the limited scientific evidence reviewed above, minimum recommendations for mental
health benefits are that individuals should exercise for at least 30 min, 3 times·wk-1 at a moderate-tovigorous
intensity for a period of at least 8 wks. Larger doses (e.g., longer or more frequent sessions)
may be more effective if this is feasible. This dose is similar to the minimum public health
recommendations to promote and maintain health (15). The type of exercise (e.g., aerobic exercise or
resistance exercise) or whether the exercise is carried out in a group or individually may be less
important than tailoring the exercise to the person’s preferences. Particularly for individuals with
serious mental disorders, it may be necessary to slowly build up to this amount of exercise, taking
into account current activity level, and focus on increasing daily physical activity rather than ‘exercise’
per se (1).
5. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Although individuals with mental disorders often face substantial illness-related barriers to physical
activity that others do not face, the barriers are not dissimilar to the barriers to engaging in and
adhering to psychological therapy or medication. The key features of common disorders such as
depression and anxiety often include a tendency to passivity/withdrawal and avoidance, and those
with more serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia may at times have little insight into their
illness and have low motivation. Exercise interventions may be incorporated as part of the treatment
for depression and anxiety disorder, whereas for disorders such as schizophrenia, the focus may be
on increasing physical activity in order to provide structure and stability to assist day-to-day
functioning. Professionals need to stay mindful of the barriers faced by depressed or anxious
individuals, namely the potential to minimize success and the tendency to avoid and/or adapt
exercise programs to suit the individual. Some examples are encouraging a depressed person who is
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having difficulty sleeping to exercise later in the day; initially avoiding group activities for someone
with social phobia; and building from small blocks of activity to develop a sense of achievement.
Knowledge of any concomitant psychological or pharmacological treatments may impact on the
development of an individual physical activity plan, such as integrating physical activity into the
behavioral components of psychological treatment (48) or working effectively with the duration of
action or side effects of medications for mental health (28). In developing an individual physical
activity plan, it is important to start where the individual feels comfortable, but build towards meeting
public health exercise recommendations (48). It is important to discuss that lower doses may not be
as effective in decreasing the symptoms of depression versus higher doses of physical activity (7).
Given the increased likelihood of comorbid mental health and physical health problems, clients may
find it motivating to acknowledge the efficiencies in treatment that exercise offers (38).
Where possible, encourage the individual to take advantage of nonspecific effects such as social
supports and establishing routines. Both increase the likelihood that changes in physical activity will
be maintained beyond the intervention period (48). This is important since adherence to exercise
programs can drop dramatically within six months (39) and mental disorders tend to recur. Working
through the costs and benefits associated with engaging in physical activity and addressing barriers
and resistance, as well as building problem solving skills, may encourage perseverance with a new
exercise routine (35). The physical activity plan should be tailored to the individual’s preferences and
circumstances. The plan should also consider the individual’s current level of physical activity, what
activities they would like to do, what they used to enjoy, the costs and benefits for each activity, the
potential barriers, and the resources needed (49). These steps will help create a realistic and
achievable plan for engaging in physical activity. Regular review of progress is essential and should
explore the immediate benefits of exercise. These benefits can be identified by using recording
sheets to monitor the relationship between how an individual feels and their activity levels, before,
during, and after exercising (10).