The document provides guidelines for promoting physical activity to improve mental and physical health for those with mental illness. It aims to 1) support staff in promoting physical activity as a therapeutic tool and 2) provide strategies for staff to help service users incorporate physical activity. Examples of successful physical activity programs are provided, as are key messages and resources. Participant feedback underscores the benefits of physical activity in improving mood, confidence, and social engagement for those with mental illness.

1. Let’s Get Active Guidelines ..
To improve health and wellbeing
Dr. Julie Broderick
Trinity College
Dublin

2. • 1 in 5 people live with mental illness
• People with mental illness can die up to 18 years earlier than the
general population
• Gap in life expectancy mainly from physical health issues associated
with mental illness like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and lifestyle
factors.

3. Challenge to - bridge the implementation gap

4. Guidelines aim –
1. Support staff to promote
awareness of the benefits of
physical activity as a powerful
therapeutic tool for people with
mental health difficulties
2. Provide practical resources and
strategies for staff to support service
users to incorporate meaningful
physical activity into their daily life

9. Service user input

10. Examples of incorporating physical active
programmes in practice

11. Key messages at end of each chapter

12. Examples of some resources

13. Examples of some resources

16. • Dr. Jonathan Moran
• Steering Group: John McCusker, Brian Hartnett, Agatha
Lawless, Dr. Ailis Brosnan, Maurice Dillon, Laura Molloy,
Dr. Catherine McDonough, Nora Mannion, Cliodhna
Kirwan, Maeve Sweeney, Derek Griffin
• Service Users with lived experience
• Particular thanks to Maurice Dillon!
Thank you to

17. Partnership’s

18. Collaborate

20. Outcome Measures

21. Other mental health settings

22. Participant Feedback
“After I do my training... I feel I’m a person, I’m somebody who matters,
so it’s a good feeling... I’m a member of a team and I’m a player on a
team… It just makes me feel good about life.” ( Participant, Kickstart to
Recovery, Drogheda, 2018)
“Only for the programme I would not have had the confidence to start
volunteering and now I love it. I used to sit in the house on my own all
day. now, I am making sure I’m walking daily. ( Participant,
Time2Redesign, Ashbourne 2018)
" It’s hard to do get started, but this has given me a push, sometimes a
little push and a little support is whats needed“ (Participant, Learn to
Run, Navan 2019)