"ImPuls - a strong mind through motivation and exercise (short: ImPuls)" is a sports and movement therapy program based on the current evidence for the effectiveness and promotion of (regular) endurance-oriented physical activity in people with mental illness.
ImPuls combines endurance-oriented physical activity with behaviour change techniques, which aim to build up motivation regarding the initiation of physical activity and to integrate phyiscal activity permanently into everyday life. The program consists of a four-week supervised and a five-month partially supervised phase. During the supervised phase, two to three units of running training take place each week in small groups of six people. The running units are supplemented by the behaviour change modules described above. The small groups are supervised by sports and movement therapists with 3 to 5 years of academic training who have completed DVGS specific training courses in the subject areas of psychiatry, psychosomatics and addiction as well as an ImPuls training courses lasting several days. Furthermore, an ImPuls App developed at the University of Tübingen supports the implementation of ImPuls.
During the partially supervised phase physical activity will be continued. In order to support the transfer of physical activity into everyday life, the patients are supported in this phase by regular telephone contacts and the ImPuls App.
