The work describes the benefits of physical activities in patients with dual diagnosis in a psychiatric clinic of Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil.

Present the benefits of physical activities inside the hospital space. Evaluate the impact of the introduction of regular physical activity practice in patients having dual diagnosis in hospitalization environment.

Demonstrates the decrease of the resistance to treatment in hospitalization regime, the behavioral and social improvement of patients, as well as the physical and mental capacities and the wellness promotion during and after the treatment.

Forty-five patients carrying the dual diagnosis, hospitalized in the clinic for the period of 1 year, were monitored. All the patients were assessed by a general practitioner, a psychiatrist and a physiotherapist, before starting the physical activity, being the classification of mental disorders ICD-10 used for the diagnosis. The patients were treated with psychotropics, according to the diagnosis and the signs and symptoms presented. The therapeutic project offered physical and psychological treatment, promoting the recovery possibility through aerobic and anaerobic ludic physical activities inside the therapeutic environment.

All the patients presented improvement in the physical and mental capacities and in socializing. In the physical activities, the patients participated respecting their limitations, respecting the next and having a higher body perception.

Through the development of the activities, the patients demonstrated excellent involvement and interaction with the treatment, favoring their psychological and behavioral recovery and impacting positively their response to the treatment of various mental disorders.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.