Exercise therapy improves both mental and physical health in patients with major depression.

Purpose: to present clinical guidelines for exercise therapy in depressed patients derived from recent meta-analyses.

Method: four meta-analyses on effects of physical exercise on mental and physical in depression were analysed.

Results: For mild to moderate depression the effect of exercise may be comparable to antidepressant medication and psychotherapy; for severe depression exercise seems to be a valuable complementary therapy to the traditional treatments.

Social anxiety in physical activity participation in patients with mental illness: a cross-sectional multicenter study.

Background: Social anxiety (SA) is a frequent comorbid condition in patients with mental illness. However, no data exist regarding SA in physical activity (PA) situations. The aim of the present study was to measure the level of self-reported SA in PA participation in patients with mental illness compared to healthy controls.

Relationships between physical fitness, physical activity, smoking and metabolic and mental health parameters in people with schizophrenia.

Low physical fitness has been recognised as a prominent behavioural risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and as an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality. No studies have systematically assessed physical fitness compared with a matched health control group in patients with schizophrenia. Eighty patients with schizophrenia and 40 age-, gender- and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy volunteers were included.

A review of physical activity correlates in patients with bipolar disorder.

Background: Existing studies do suggest that physical activity interventions may be feasible and have a role in promoting mental and physical health in patients with bipolar disorder. The present review evaluates systematically quantitative studies of correlates of physical activity in patients with bipolar disorder.

Methods: We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL from their inception, combining the medical subject headings 'bipolar disorder' or 'mania' or 'manic depression' with 'physical activity' or 'physical inactivity' or 'exercise'.

Progressive muscle relaxation in persons with schizophrenia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation on psychological distress and anxiety symptoms and on response/remission for people with schizophrenia.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials were considered if they investigated progressive muscle relaxation in patients with schizophrenia. EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, CINAHL, PEDro and Cochrane Library were searched.

Associations between sedentary behaviour and metabolic parameters in patients with schizophrenia.

This study examined the association between sedentary behaviour and metabolic parameters among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 76 patients and 38 healthy age-, gender- and BMI-matched volunteers were included. Participants were asked for their overall sitting and physical activity behaviour using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Quality assessment of physical activity recommendations within clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of cardio-metabolic risk factors in people with schizophrenia.

The aim of this review was to assess the quality of physical activity recommendations within clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of the cardio-metabolic risk factors in schizophrenia. Several databases were searched from their inception through July 2010. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation instrument was used for the quality assessment.

Lack of physical activity during leisure time contributes to an impaired health related quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to identify if lack of physical activity participation and an impaired functional exercise capacity compared with healthy controls contributed to an impaired health related quality of life (HRQL). We also evaluated whether the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) could explain the variability in HRQL in patients.

Method: Patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia (n=60) and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n=40) completed the SF-36 quality of life scale and the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire and performed a 6 minute walk test (6MWT).

Effects of progressive muscle relaxation on state anxiety and subjective well-being in people with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To examine the efficacy of a single progressive muscle relaxation session compared with a control condition on state anxiety, psychological stress, fatigue and subjective well-being in patients with schizophrenia.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: An acute inpatient care unit of an University Psychiatric Centre.

Reliability, minimal detectable changes, practice effects and correlates of the 6-min walk test in patients with schizophrenia.

We examined the reproducibility of the 6-min walk test (6 MWT) in patients with schizophrenia. Secondary aims were to assess minimal detectable changes and practice effects of the 6 MWT and the presence of clinical conditions that might interfere. From 71 patients with schizophrenia two trials of the 6 MWT, administered within 3 days, were analysed.

State anxiety, psychological stress and positive well-being responses to yoga and aerobic exercise in people with schizophrenia: a pilot study.

Purpose: Worsening of schizophrenia symptoms is related to stress and anxiety. People with schizophrenia often experience difficulties in coping with stress and possess a limited repertoire of coping strategies. A randomised comparative trial was undertaken in patients with schizophrenia to evaluate changes in state anxiety, psychological stress and subjective well-being after single sessions of yoga and aerobic exercise compared with a control condition.

Considering a frame of reference for physical activity research related to the cardiometabolic risk profile in schizophrenia.

This article reviews evidence that researchers and mental health service providers need to take into account four modifiable factors that affect the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in people with schizophrenia: (a) physical activity as part of a health-related lifestyle, (b) physical fitness, (c) mental health status and (d) antipsychotic medication. The implementation of physical activity in order to prevent and treat cardiometabolic risk factors in people with schizophrenia is discussed. English language articles published until July 2009 were identified by PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Comparison of changes in physical self-concept, global self-esteem, depression and anxiety following two different psychomotor therapy programs in nonpsychotic psychiatric inpatients.

Background: The first objective of this study was to compare the changes in physical self-concept, global self-esteem, depression and anxiety after participation in one of two 16-week psychomotor therapy programs for nonpsychotic psychiatric inpatients. The second objective was to study the relationship between changes in these variables.

Methods: One hundred and ninety-nine inpatients were randomly assigned to either a personalized psychomotor fitness program, consisting of aerobic exercise and weight training, or a general program of psychomotor therapy, consisting of different forms of physical exercises and relaxation training.