Qigong as a mindful exercise intervention for people living with mental ill health

Background Individuals with schizophrenia are more likely to be overweight or obese than the general population, and the associated health problems put them at a higher risk of death. Exercise is therefore an important non-pharmacological intervention that mental health workers can assist clients to engage in, and mindful exercise approaches may be particularly well-suited to this population. Content This article describes the concept of qigong as a mindful exercise and looks at preliminary evidence suggesting that mindful exercise is of physical and emotional benefit to people with mental ill health. The authors propose an easy, standardized exercise protocol which clinicians can use and teach patient, and call for further research to explore its efficacy. Conclusions It is suggested that mindful exercise may be used as an intervention to assist people living with mental ill health to improve their community functioning and hence their recovery.