Physical Activity in Mental Health Services
Minding Our Bodies
mindingourbodies.ca
A CMHA-led project to increase capacity in Ontario within the community mental health system to promote physical activity and healthy eating for people with serious mental illness.
Resources include:
- A Toolkit of easy-to-use resources to help your organization create sustainable physical activity and healthy eating programs for people experiencing or recovering from serious mental illness
- A PowerPoint file, “Making the Case for Integrating Physical Activity Programming into Mental Health Services,” which can be customized for your own presentations
- A literature review, “The Nurture of Nature: Natural Settings and Their Mental Health Benefits,” outlining the benefits of nature for overall mental well-being, including links to existing outdoor exercise programs
Physical Activity in General
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
csep.ca
The principal body for physical activity, health, and fitness research and personal training in Canada. Resources include:
- Physical activity guidelines for youth, adults, and older adults, with support from the Public Health Agency of Canada
- The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q)
ParticipACTION
participaction.com
The national voice of physical activity and sport participation in Canada. Resources include:
- Toolkit of active living communications material
- The Partnership Protocol, a guide to successful private/not-for-profit partnerships in physical activity and sports
Physical Activity Resource Centre (PARC)
parc.ophea.net
The centre of excellence for physical activity promotion in Ontario, whose key objective is reducing chronic disease through physical activity. Resources include:
- “Walk this Way” leader’s and user’s guides, with information about walking, safety tips, and stretching; has also been adapted for First Nations populations
- A “Workbook for Influencing Physical Activity Policy,” with guidelines about how to influence organizational policy
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging
uwo.ca/actage
Canada’s leader in current research and program development for improved physical ability and healthy aging for older adults. Resources include:
- An “Advocating for Physical Activity” guide to designing physical activity programs for older adults
The Natural Environment and Mental Health Services
Discovery Quest Community Project
discoveryquest.org
An award-winning walking and nature therapy program, running since 2006 in Norfolk, England, for people who experience serious mental illness.
Mind
mind.org.uk
A national mental health charity in the UK, that has called for a green agenda for mental health.
Program Development and Evaluation
Public Health Ontario
publichealthontario.ca
A Crown corporation linking public health practitioners, front-line health workers, and researchers with scientific intelligence and knowledge.
- The “Online Health Program Planner 2.0” is for health promoters in Ontario looking to begin or enhance program planning or wanting to use on online tool for that purpose.
YouthREX
youthrex.com
YouthREX is a province-wide initiative based at York University with five regional Hubs across Ontario. YouthREX promotes the integration of evidence and evaluation in the development and delivery of Ontario’s youth programs.
Walking Program Manuals and Information
America’s Walking
pbs.org/americaswalking
A PBS television series on fitness, travel, and lifestyle, designed to get you walking. It features numerous walking-related resources, including:
- Information about stretching
- Neighbourhood Walkability Quiz
Let’s Walk Cymru
sportwales.org.uk
A Wales-wide walking initiative to increase the number of people going outdoors to improve health and well-being. Resources include:
Walk England
walkengland.org.uk
A social enterprise of dedicated professionals working across the UK, delivering walking projects and offering walking advice.
- Walk4Life’s “How to Lead a Walk” download
Walking Program Resources
British Columbia Recreation & Parks Association
bcrpa.bc.ca
Informative and user-friendly resources to guide communities, worksites and individuals in implementing or reviewing current walking programs.
- Walking Program Resource Guide, with information about best practices, evaluation, partnerships and sponsors
- Walking Handbooks for leaders and participants
Working with Volunteers and Students
National Alliance on Mental Illness
nami.org
- Keeping Volunteers Actively Engaged and Productive
A brief guide to building effective relationships with volunteers.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People for Change. Miller and Rollnick (2002), Guilford Press.
What are you willing to change to promote your patients’ oral health? Friedman, C.S., Morrow, Don, and Irwin, Jennifer D. (2013). Journal of the Ontario Dentistry Association.
Photovoice
Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence
www.pwhce.ca
- A Practical Guide to Photovoice
A user-friendly guide to planning a photovoice project.
