Implementing Sustainable Physical Activity Opportunities in Pediatric Oncology – Five-Year Experience of a Group-Based Exercise Program

We evaluated the feasibility, safety, system usability, and intervention acceptability of Lung Transplant Go (LTGO), an 8-week in-home exercise intervention for lung transplant recipients using a telerehabilitation platform, and described changes in physical function and physical activity from baseline to post-intervention. The intervention was delivered to lung transplant recipients in their home via the Versatile and Integrated System for TeleRehabilitation (VISYTER). The intervention focused on aerobic and strengthening exercises tailored to baseline physical function. Participants improved walk distance (6-minute walk distance), balance (Berg Balance Scale), lower body strength (30-second chair stand test) and steps walked (SenseWear Armband®). No adverse events were reported. Participants rated the program highly positively in regard to the technology and intervention. The telerehabilitation exercise program was feasible, safe, and acceptable. Our findings provide preliminary support for the LTGO intervention to improve physical function and promote physical activity in lung transplant recipients.

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Physical exercise during pregnancy and its influence in the type of birth

Einstein (São Paulo) ◽

10.1590/s1679-45082012000400003 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 409-414 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lílian Cristina da Silveira ◽

Conceição Aparecida de Mattos Segre

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Exercise ◽

Basic Education ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Control Group ◽

Significance Level ◽

Vaginal Deliveries ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Primiparous Women

OBJECTIVE: To verify if medium intensity exercise performed during pregnancy can influence in the type of delivery, and to observe compliance to an exercise program among primiparous women with different levels of schooling. METHODS: A study carried out at the Centro de Incentivo ao Aleitamento Materno, in São Sebastiao (SP), between April 7, 2008, and April 14, 2009. A prospective study involving 66 primiparous women who were divided into two groups: an Exercise Group, engaged in regular physical activity during pregnancy, and the Control Group, that did not participate in regular physical activity during the same period. Significance level in this project was 5% (p=0.05). RESULTS: The group that did engage in regular exercise had a higher rate of vaginal deliveries, with a statistically significance difference evaluated by the χ² test (p=0.031). The pregnant women with the highest level of schooling showed greater compliance with the exercise program, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.01736). CONCLUSION: Physical exercise in primiparous women increased the chances of vaginal deliveries, and there was greater compliance with the exercise program among those with a higher level of schooling when compared to those with a basic education.

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Community-Based Adaptive Physical Activity Program for Chronic Stroke: Feasibility, Safety, and Efficacy of the Empoli Model

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair ◽

10.1177/1545968309332734 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 23 (7) ◽

pp. 726-734 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Mary Stuart ◽

Francesco Benvenuti ◽

Richard Macko ◽

Antonio Taviani ◽

Lucianna Segenni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Gait Velocity ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Oral Glucose ◽

Community Based ◽

Hemiparetic Stroke

Objective. To determine whether Adaptive Physical Activity (APA-stroke), a community-based exercise program for participants with hemiparetic stroke, improves function in the community. Methods. Nonrandomized controlled study in Tuscany, Italy, of participants with mild to moderate hemiparesis at least 9 months after stroke. Forty-nine participants in a geographic health authority (Empoli) were offered APA-stroke (40 completed the study). Forty-four control participants in neighboring health authorities (Florence and Pisa) received usual care (38 completed the study). The APA intervention was a community-based progressive group exercise regimen that included walking, strength, and balance training for 1 hour, thrice a week, in local gyms, supervised by gym instructors. No serious adverse clinical events occurred during the exercise intervention. Outcome measures included the following: 6-month change in gait velocity (6-Minute Timed Walk), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Berg Balance Scale, Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), Barthel Index, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and Index of Caregivers Strain. Results. After 6 months, the intervention group improved whereas controls declined in gait velocity, balance, SPPB, and SIS social participation domains. These between-group comparisons were statistically significant at P < .00015. Individuals with depressive symptoms at baseline improved whereas controls were unchanged ( P < .003). Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on a subset of participants in the intervention group. For these individuals, insulin secretion declined 29% after 6 months ( P = .01). Conclusion. APA-stroke appears to be safe, feasible, and efficacious in a community setting.

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Serum Myostatin Levels Are Higher in Fitter, More Active, and Non-Frail Long-Term Nursing Home Residents and Increase after a Physical Exercise Intervention

Gerontology ◽

10.1159/000494137 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 65 (3) ◽

pp. 229-239 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Haritz Arrieta ◽

Gotzone Hervás ◽

Chloe Rezola-Pardo ◽

Fátima Ruiz-Litago ◽

Miren Iturburu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Composition ◽

Nursing Home ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Physical Activity Level ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Nursing Home Residents ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Activity Level

Background: Myostatin has been proposed as a candidate biomarker for frailty and sarcopenia. However, the relationship of myostatin with these conditions remains inconclusive. Objective: To determine the association of serum myostatin concentration with body composition, physical fitness, physical activity level, and frailty in long-term nursing home residents. We also aimed to ascertain the effect of an exercise program on myostatin levels. Methods: We obtained study data on 112 participants from long-term nursing homes. Participants were randomly assigned to a control or an intervention group and performed a 6-month multicomponent exercise program. Serum myostatin levels were analyzed by ELISA. Assessments also included body composition (anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance), physical fitness (Senior Fitness Test), physical activity level (accelerometry), and frailty (Fried frailty criteria, Clinical Frailty Scale, and Tilburg frailty indicator). Results: The concentration of myostatin at baseline was positively correlated with: a leaner body composition (p < 0.05), and a higher number of steps per day and light and moderate-vigorous physical activity in women (p < 0.005); greater upper and lower limb strength, endurance, and poorer flexibility (p < 0.05) in men; and better performance (less time) in the 8-ft timed up-and-go test in both women (p < 0.01) and men (p < 0.005). We observed higher concentrations of serum myostatin in non-frail than in frail participants (p < 0.05). Additionally, we found that the implemented physical exercise intervention, which was effective to improve physical fitness, increased myostatin concentration in men (p < 0.05) but not in women. The improvements in physical condition were related with increases in serum myostatin only in men (p < 0.05–0.01). Conclusions: Higher serum levels of myostatin were found to be associated with better physical fitness. The improvements in physical fitness after the intervention were positively related to increases in myostatin concentrations in men. These results seem to rule out the idea that high serum myostatin levels are indicative of frailty in long-term nursing home residents. However, although the direction of association was opposite to that expected for the function of myostatin, the use of this protein as a biomarker for physical fitness, rather than frailty, merits further study.

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Effects of 12-week combined exercise program on self-efficacy, physical activity level, and health related physical fitness of adults with intellectual disability

Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation ◽

10.12965/jer.1835194.597 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 175-182 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Garam Jo ◽

Brenda Rossow-Kimball ◽

Yongho Lee

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Intellectual Disability ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Physical Activity Level ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Activity Level ◽

Combined Exercise ◽

Health Related

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Physical activity and stress coping in the elderly

Einstein (São Paulo) ◽

10.1590/s1679-45082010ao1549 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 419-422 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fernando de Andréa ◽

Fernanda Varkala Lanuez ◽

Adriana Nunes Machado ◽

Wilson Jacob Filho

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Exercise Program ◽

The Elderly ◽

Physical Activity Program ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Stress Coping ◽

Coping Capacity ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Supervised Exercise ◽

Activity Program

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the value of a physical activity program on stress coping of the elderly. Methods: Intervention study with a group of 18 elderly people referred by the Geriatric Service of the Hospital das Clinicas of the Universidade de Sao Paulo, who attended a supervised exercise program, evaluated by the human activity profile and the coping questionnaire. Results: In the coping and functional performance scales, increased stress coping capacity and improvement of daily activities were found after exposure to a physical activity program. Conclusions: The practice of supervised and regular physical activity, combining aerobic, resistance, stretching, and respiratory exercises, yields positive effects in the coping capacity and in the accomplishment of the daily activities.

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An Activity Tracker–Guided Physical Activity Program for Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy: Protocol for a Prospective Phase III Trial (OnkoFit I and II Trials) (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28524 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Franziska Hauth ◽

Barbara Gehler ◽

Andreas Michael Nieß ◽

Katharina Fischer ◽

Andreas Toepell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Functional Assessment ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Daily Step ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Activity Tracker ◽

Cancer Related Fatigue ◽

Daily Step Count

BACKGROUND The positive impact that physical activity has on patients with cancer has been shown in several studies over recent years. However, supervised physical activity programs have several limitations, including costs and availability. Therefore, our study proposes a novel approach for the implementation of a patient-executed, activity tracker–guided exercise program to bridge this gap. OBJECTIVE Our trial aims to investigate the impact that an activity tracker–guided, patient-executed exercise program for patients undergoing radiotherapy has on cancer-related fatigue, health-related quality of life, and preoperative health status. METHODS Patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer (OnkoFit I trial) or neoadjuvant, definitive, or postoperative treatment for other types of solid tumors (OnkoFit II trial) will be randomized (1:1:1) into 3-arm studies. Target accrual is 201 patients in each trial (50 patients per year). After providing informed consent, patients will be randomized into a standard care arm (arm A) or 1 of 2 interventional arms (arms B and C). Patients in arms B and C will wear an activity tracker and record their daily step count in a diary. Patients in arm C will receive personalized weekly targets for their physical activity. No further instructions will be given to patients in arm B. The target daily step goals for patients in arm C will be adjusted weekly and will be increased by 10% of the average daily step count of the past week until they reach a maximum of 6000 steps per day. Patients in arm A will not be provided with an activity tracker. The primary end point of the OnkoFit I trial is cancer-related fatigue at 3 months after the completion of radiotherapy. This will be measured by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue questionnaire. For the OnkoFit II trial, the primary end point is the overall quality of life, which will be assessed with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General sum score at 6 months after treatment to allow for recovery after possible surgery. In parallel, blood samples from before, during, and after treatment will be collected in order to assess inflammatory markers. RESULTS Recruitment for both trials started on August 1, 2020, and to date, 49 and 12 patients have been included in the OnkoFit I and OnkoFit II trials, respectively. Both trials were approved by the institutional review board prior to their initiation. CONCLUSIONS The OnkoFit trials test an innovative, personalized approach for the implementation of an activity tracker–guided training program for patients with cancer during radiotherapy. The program requires only a limited amount of resources. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04506476; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04506476. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04517019; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04517019. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/28524

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