This program was one of the first of its kind to illustrate the importance of exercise for people with mental illness. McLean's Patient Fitness and Social Recreation center opened in October 2005 and those using the center range from elementary school students enrolled at McLean's Pathways Academy to geriatric patients participating in McLean's residential programs.
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Since 1990, more than 100 studies have been conducted worldwide that have shown that regular exercise can improve one's mental health. According to a report cited by President George W. Bush's Council on Physical Fitness and Exercise, physical activity can significantly reduce anxiety and depression. "We now have evidence to support the claim that exercise is related to positive mental health as indicated by relief in symptoms of depression and anxiety, " writes Daniel M. Landers, a research from Arizona State University in his report "The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health." 
In response to such reports, McLean Hospital, the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of Partners HealthCare, established the McLean Fitness and Recreation Center in October 2005. Made possible through generous private donations, the Center opened to an eager community of inpatients, residential patients and partial hospital patients as well as students who attend Arlington School and Pathways Academy. The workout area is equipped with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, including treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines, as well as strength-training equipment. The social recreation area features new lounging furniture and café tables, offering patients a space to relax and socialize before and after workouts, in between groups, and during free time on evenings and weekends. It will also be used for periodic movie nights and other activities organized by staff.
In its second year, due to popular demand, the Center also began serving members of the McLean Hospital outpatient community in addition to our inpatients, residential and partial hospital patients, and day students. Individuals who have stepped down from more intense levels of care and are currently receiving outpatient treatment at McLean can now use the Fitness Center for a three-month transitional period. This effort has been so popular that the Center continues to receive requests for ongoing outpatient access. The Center will soon be developing a more comprehensive program for these individuals based on recommendations from staff and patients.
An obese, middle-aged women came to the Obsessive 
Compulsive Disorder Institute at McLean with obsessive thoughts about heart attacks. Part of her treatment was to come to the Fitness Center on a daily basis to work out and induce the anxiety. Over the course of her treatment, she lost 60 pounds and had to buy new clothes. During the workouts, the Fitness Center coordinator and the client discussed how strong the heart actually is and how by working out on a regular basis she could make her heart even stronger and reduce the chance of a heart attack. When she was ready to return home, the client was excited to show her family her new exercise and eating habits and planned to purchase her own elliptical machine. On more than one occasion clients have said they use the Fitness Center as a place to calm their anxiety and fears. Some use the equipment to get a physical release while others walk in and sit quietly to feel the “calm” environment of the Fitness Center and use skills they are learning in therapy.
“I feel very blessed to have this resource.” (fitness center patient)