A pilot study of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for obsessive compulsive disorder

This preliminary study examined the impact of aerobic exercise as an adjunctive intervention to regular care in reducing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in a clinical sample. Fifteen patients (53% male; mean age = 44.4 years) receiving behavioral therapy and/or pharmacotherapy for OCD and who still demonstrated clinically significant OCD symptoms (i.e., Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale, Y-BOCS scores above 16) were enrolled in a 12-week moderate-intensity exercise intervention. Measures of OCD symptom severity were obtained at baseline, end of treatment, and at 3- and 6-week, and 6-month follow-up. Study findings at the end of this 12-week aerobic exercise intervention point to a beneficial effect (Cohen's d = 1.69) on reduction in OCD symptom severity. Further, reductions in OCD symptom severity appear to persist 6 months later. Lastly, improvement in overall sense of well-being was observed after the 12-week intervention. Results of this study suggest that a randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of this 12-week aerobic exercise intervention is warranted.