“You can't take a pill to exercise” – Qualitative findings from the Toward Exercise as Medicine for Adolescents with bipolar disorder (TEAM-BD) study

•We developed a 24-week behaviour change counselling intervention to increase aerobic fitness in youth with bipolar disorder.•Eleven participants and five parents attended consultation forums to provide feedback on the intervention.•Qualitative methods were used to elucidate content and themes related to intervention feasibility, acceptability, and impact.•The benefits, challenges, and barriers reported by participants and parents provide consideration for future interventions.