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Primary Care Mental Health in Older People pp 127–143Cite as

Exercise for Older Adults with Mental Health Problems

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Abstract

Exercise or physical activity is considered as medicine, and both have several positive effects, which outweigh largely the risks. For older adults with mental health issues, physical activity and exercise might be even more important than for healthy people: exercise and physical activity can prevent or at least delay the onset of some mental disorders; they have therapeutic effects, either as the sole intervention or as an adjunct treatment for mental disorders. Patients are more likely to recover from a mental illness if they are regularly physically active. It is recommended for older adults to be physically active for at least 150 min per week at moderate intensity or for at least 75 min at vigorous intensity. Exercise adherence is quite low, and measures to improve exercise adherence should be implemented. Health-care providers should help older adults to find physical activities or exercise modalities that are perceived as pleasant. Caregivers of older adults with mental health issues should also be physically active, as this has a positive effect on the burden of carers of persons with mental health problems.

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  1. Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Leukerbad, Switzerland

    Roger Hilfiker

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  1. Unité de Psychiatrie et de Psychothérapie, Centre Les Toises, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Carlos Augusto de Mendonça Lima

  2. Mental Health and Population Health, NOVA University Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Gabriel Ivbijaro

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Hilfiker, R. (2019). Exercise for Older Adults with Mental Health Problems. In: de Mendonça Lima, C., Ivbijaro, G. (eds) Primary Care Mental Health in Older People. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10814-4_11

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