Efectos de un programa de ejercicio físico sobre marcadores de salud mental, calidad de vida y condición física en pacientes con esquizofrenia
- Rocamora Serrano, Manuel
- Ayala, Francisco
- López Rodríguez, Emilio José
- Wesolek, Irene
- García Vaquero, María del Pilar
- López Valenciano, Alejandro
- Sánchez Romero, Elisa Isabel
ISSN: 1578-2484
Year of publication: 2018
Issue: 28
Pages: 113-124
Type: Article
More publications in: Actividad física y deporte: ciencia y profesión
Abstract
Still being limited the number of studies that have investigated the role of the physical exercise as a complementary therapy for the treatment of schizophrenia. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of a physical exercise program on a range of measures related to mental health, quality of life and physical fitness in persons with schizophrenia. Six adults diagnosed with schizophrenia completed this study. All participants carried out a supervised 5-week physical exercise program with a frequency of 2 days per week. A total of 14 measures related to physical fitness, five measures of mental health and seven measures concerning with the self perception of health and quality of life were defined as dependent variables. All variables were analysed through a statistical inference analysis. Statistically significant improvements were found in the mental health measures (psychopathology and clinical severity of the disease) after the application of the intervention program. Furthermore, significant increases were shown in the physical fitness measures related to maximal muscle strength (for both upper and lower extremities), muscle flexibility (hamstrings and shoulder rotator muscles) and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max). The rest of the physical fitness measures did not report any statistically significant changes. Therefore, the main findings of this study support the use of the physical exercise as complementary therapy for the treatment of schizophrenia based on the improvements showed in mental health, quality of life and physical fitness of the patients.