Last November, at age 48, Sheryl Hammond, a person with schizophrenia, discovered the benefits of regular exercise. After staying with an exercise program for 5 months – a daily routine that includes a 1-hour ride indoors on a stationary bicycle and a half-hour walk outdoors with her husband – Hammond shed 47 pounds and says she generally feels stronger and healthier.

Twenty-two years ago, around the time of her diagnosis of schizophrenia, Hammond says she weighed 116 pounds. Before she decided to exercise, her weight had increased to 286 pounds. Hammond attributes a large part of her weight gain to the medication she takes to control her disorder. But rather than discontinue her medicine, she began to exercise.

"My heartbeat is slow and steady for the first time in my life," she says. "My husband says my attention span has improved and that I'm more affectionate to him."

"For individuals with schizophrenia, virtually any kind of physical activity is a great idea," says Joseph Loizzo, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at New York City's Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. But very often, people with the disease don't seek out physical activity because some medications may cause fatigue and weight gain. In addition, people with schizophrenia may avoid social interactions at gyms or in exercise classes. Yet many experts maintain that if people push themselves to exercise, regular physical activity can ultimately decrease the sedation effects and weight gain caused by some medication. And, says Dr. Loizzo, exercise offers people with schizophrenia an opportunity to be with other people without having to depend on verbal communication.

"Exercise helps people with schizophrenia realize that they have control over what their bodies are doing," Dr. Loizzo says. "It allows them to experience a more motor, less verbal mode." For those individuals considering embarking on an exercise routine, Dr. Loizzo offers some suggestions.

Find a supportive environment

The ideal situation would be to work out one-on-one with a personal trainer. If that isn't possible, an exercise buddy – someone roughly on the same physical level – can be helpful. Another alternative is to find a gym or health club with a "friendly, social atmosphere," suggests Dr. Loizzo. In any case, he strongly advises individuals with schizophrenia to avoid engaging in competitive sports, in which critical comments can feel like "toxic feedback."

Work out in a safe place

Again, a gym or health club is an excellent place. Those who prefer to walk or run outdoors should take care to do it in a relaxed, not stressful location – a well-policed park, for example, or a quiet suburban street, and not a crowded city sidewalk or an isolated country road. "Walk where you feel safe," says Loizzo. "Do it someplace where you know you are not going to get stirred up."

Enlist the support of family and physician

Even individuals who are working out by themselves should find someone, or several people, they can talk with about their routine. People with schizophrenia will find exercise more beneficial if they do it "in the context of a dialogue with a family member or physician," observes Loizzo.