Aerobic exercise can significantly help people coping with schizophrenia, the long-term mental disorder that causes flawed perceptions of the world, including hallucinations and delusions, along with a withdrawal from reality.

Researchers from the University of Manchester analyzed data from 10 clinical trials and found that 12 weeks of aerobic exercise improved the functioning of patients' brains.

Medication can usually treat the hallucinations and delusions caused by the disease, but patients are still plagued with cognitive defects, including poor memory and concentration.

"Cognitive deficits are one aspect of schizophrenia which is particularly problematic," said researcher Joe Firth.

"They hinder recovery and impact negatively upon people's ability to function in work and social situations," he said. "Furthermore, current medications for schizophrenia do not treat the cognitive deficits of the disorder.

"We are searching for new ways to treat these aspects of the illness, and now research is increasingly suggesting that physical exercise can provide a solution," Firth said.

The new research showed that patients who are treated with aerobic exercise programs, such as treadmills and exercise bikes, in combination with their medication, will improve their overall brain functioning more than those treated with medications alone.

The areas which were most improved by exercising were patients' ability to understand social situations, their attention spans, and their "working memory" — or how much information they can hold in mind at one time.

There was also evidence that programs which used greater amounts of exercise, and those which were most successful for improving fitness, had the greatest effects on cognitive functioning.

"These findings present the first large-scale evidence supporting the use of physical exercise to treat the neurocognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia," said Firth.

"Using exercise from the earliest stages of the illness could reduce the likelihood of long-term disability, and facilitate full, functional recovery for patients."

The study is published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, the world's leading journal on schizophrenia.