Trialling the feasibility and acceptability of physical activity self-monitoring and supervised exercise interventions for adults with mental illness

This randomised controlled trial compared the effectiveness of two interventions to promote physical activity in adults with mental illness. The two interventions were; supervised exercise and gym membership, and motivational discussions and self-monitoring of PA using fitness trackers. The intervention duration was 16 weeks, including 8 weeks of weekly supervised group sessions, and 8 weeks of access to the gym or fitness tracker unsupervised. Participants are community-dwelling adults recruited from outpatient clinics of public mental health services. The primary outcome is physical activity adoption assessed using GENEActiv accelerometers worn continuously over 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes measured at baseline, postintervention (8 weeks) and follow-up (16 weeks), include exercise motivation, psychological distress and self-reported physical activity assessed using self-administered questionnaires and indicators of physical health measured by a researcher blinded to allocation (blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, 6 min walk test). Participant experiences will be assessed using qualitative focus groups with analysis informed by a theoretical model of behaviour (COM-B).