Exercise improves cardiorespiratory fitness in people with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To determine if exercise can improve cardiorespiratory fitness in people with schizophrenia.

Methods: Major electronic databases were searched systematically until May 2015. A meta-analysis calculating Hedges' g statistic was undertaken.

Results: Engaging in exercise improves cardiorespiratory fitness in people with schizophrenia (g = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.16–0.64, p = 0.001, N = 7, n = 77). Data from four controlled studies demonstrated that exercise (n = 53) significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness compared to control groups (n = 48) (g = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.05–0.82, p = 0.028).

Conclusions: Considering the current findings, the multidisciplinary treatment of schizophrenia should include a focus on both, improving "fitness" and reducing "fatness", in order to reduce all-cause mortality.