2005 Volume 2 Pages 36-40
Seishinkai Fujisawa Hospital has emphasized teaching constitutional physical fitness exercise such as aerobic dance to inpatients and outpatients with mental disorders since 1986 years.
In these years the hospital's staff has worked very assiduously to refine the exercise offered to patients with the goal of improving and maintaining their physical health. The hallway space in our open wards has proven to be an excellent area for walking exercises for both men and women.
There are many challenges in applying a physical exercising program to mental patients. The same criterion used for ordinary people is difficult and can even be dangerous for mental patients. But considering the long-term effects on the cardiac and pulmonary functions of the patients because of physical inactiveness, poor standing posture and psychiatric medicine, the benefits of physical exercise are worthwhile. However, further studies are needed to verify the results in using different levels of exercises and their effects on the cognitive and physical function of mental patients.
