To examine the long-term association between physical activity (PA) and psychosocial functioning following completion of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) among participants in the ENHANCED study.

ENHANCED was a 3-month clinical trial examining standard CR with and without stress management training (SMT). Participants completed the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at baseline, 3- and 12-months after randomization. Prospective associations between physical activity and psychosocial function, as well as treatment group differences, were examined using repeated measures mixed modeling.

One hundred nineteen participants were available at 12month follow-up. During the 12-month follow-up, PA remained higher compared to baseline (P<0.001), with the majority of participants reporting that they engaged in PA on a regular basis. Depressive and anxious symptoms continued to remain lower than baseline (Ps<0.001) Higher levels of PA at 12-month follow-up were associated with lower depressive (P=0.032) and anxious (P=0.003) symptoms.

Higher physical activity levels following CR are associated with lower depressive and anxious symptoms. Encouraging patients to sustain higher levels of PA may promote both cardiovascular and mental health.