[The role of physical exercise in the treatment of mental disorders and suicide prevention].

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a sharp increase in the prevalence of mental disorders is expected, and by 2030, the amounts spent on treating depression will constitute the largest health care ex- penditure worldwide. Preliminary estimates also highlight the importance of focusing on any therapeutic approaches that can slow down this trend. Lifestyle medicine, particu- larly regular physical exercise, plays a crucial role as a low-intensity psychological interven- tion. Regular physical exercise is a widely accessible and effective tool for both preven- tion and therapeutic intervention. It impacts all organ systems of the body, and therefore, regardless of age, it significantly contributes to the development and maintenance of both physical and mental health, improves quality of life, and increases life expectancy. A significant portion of mental disor- ders remains undiagnosed and, therefore, untreated. This makes physical exercise par- ticularly important in preventing the devel- opment of psychopathological symptoms in both childhood and adulthood. Despite the long-known positive effects of regular physi- cal exercise, it is rarely mentioned in medical literature and, with few exceptions, is almost entirely absent from treatment protocols. In our summary paper, we integrate foun- dational knowledge from sports science, psy- chopathology, and psychotherapy, aiming for a multidisciplinary, comprehensive approach to treatment. This highlights the potential of regular physical exercise as a medica- tion and an effective therapeutic tool in the treatment of mental disorders, often even as monotherapy. The scope of the paper is to demonstrate how the symptoms of mental disorders can be prevented or  alleviated through regular physical exercise - one of the pillars of lifestyle medicine - as a low-intensity intervention.