Sean Kennedy, creator of the program, aims to bring down barriers to exercise for anyone with depressionPublished May 01, 2025 • 3 minute readSean Kennedy, the CEO of First Line Vitality, said doctors can’t prescribe exercise as a treatment because there is no medium or program that helps providers make it a part of someone’s treatment. This is why Kennedy has launched an exercise program to fill that gap. Unsplash Photo Photo by UnsplashIt’s common knowledge across most populations that exercise and physical activity can have a positive impact on mental health.Exercise is even recognized by the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatment as a first-line treatment for depression. However, there’s a problem: doctors can only encourage exercise for their patients; they can’t actually prescribe it.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentSean Kennedy, the CEO of First Line Vitality, said that’s because there’s no medium or program that helps providers make it a part of someone’s treatment plan. Kennedy aims to fill that gap with a newly-launched exercise program.“First Line Vitality exists to provide an alternative and an addition to a treatment plan for depression,” said Kennedy.How to avail of the programThe six-week pilot program, now in its third week, is hosted at Extreme Training in Paradise. The pilot, he said, will allow him to test and develop a scalable model.Currently, people have to be on the Avalon to participate, but you can’t just show up or self-refer. Participants must be referred by a physician.“It has a lot of value when the doctors see the value of the treatment and refer the patient directly,” said Kennedy. “If someone is reading this article and thinks that this is a program that they may benefit from as a treatment plan, talk to your doctor.”Kennedy said physicians in NL are being made of the program through Pathways, a platform designed to create a central environment where doctors can easily find resources that can help their patients.Article content“Any doctors who are on the Avalon Peninsula, or within an hour of the city, should also be able to find out more about our program through their family practice network,” said Kennedy. Sean Kennedy, CEO of First Line Vitality. CONTRIBUTEDWhat does the program entail?Kennedy’s program offers group-based training sessions twice a week. Participants can expect a program that is moderately challenging, but adaptable to various fitness levels, and focuses on flexibility, strength and conditioning.The goal of the program, he said, is to bring down the barriers of an individual who might be suffering from depression. “We create this environment where it’s structured, it has a specific time, so it helps people feel like it’s more of an appointment for treatment than it is going to exercise,” said Kennedy. “And doing it in a group setting is part of it — the socialization and the ability to feed off other members in the group who are also exercising are key components.”What role is provided?First Line Vitality’s role in the treatment process is only focused on the exercise component; any health results should remain with the patient and their primary caregivers, he explained.Article contentKennedy’s role, he explained, is ensuring that the program is successful.“We already know the research is there that the exercise is going to help. So we don’t need to have an understanding there or prove that that result is required,” said Kennedy. “What we need to do is make it easy for primary caregivers to use these types of programs to help their patients.” Although he isn’t monitoring outcomes, Kennedy is monitoring attendance, participation, number of referrals and number of patients who stick with it as a measure of success. Since the program launched on April 16, he said there have been upwards of a dozen referrals so far.Read More Delivery of mental health, addictions services in NL long-term care is changing ‘It’s heartbreaking what people have to go through’: N.L. woman says her experiences with the province’s mental health system are worsening What are the next steps?If the pilot proves successful, the organization aims to expand to other exercise facilities. Kennedy said that to move to Phase 2 of the project, they will have to secure funding, and will be looking to community partners and the provincial and federal governments for that.Kennedy also hopes to eventually engage larger bodies like NL Health Services, the provincial health department, and mental health officials.“We have folks in the province who are on wait lists to get access to mental health resources, and this can have a profound impact on the position that we’re in as a population,” said Kennedy. “It can help a lot of people who are currently waiting for treatment through the public process.”Article content
New pilot program in NL helping people battle depression through exercise
