Feasibility of mobile health app-based home aerobic exercise for physical performance in young healthy adults

Abstract

Background Compared with fitness facilities or outdoor exercise, home-based exercise programs effectively improve physical performance in an indwelling community. However, a flexible, informal environment may decrease motivation and impair adherence to physical exercise. Mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, and smartwatch fitness trackers) for aerobic exercise and mobile applications provide real-time monitoring, immediate feedback, and encouragement to increase motivation and promote physical performance. We investigated the feasibility and effects of a mobile app-based home exercise program on body composition, muscular strength, and cardiopulmonary function. Methods Between February and May 2023, 20 participants who provided informed consent were randomly allocated to the intervention (mobile application with a tablet) and control groups, and they performed aerobic exercise using a stationary bicycle for at least 150 min per week for 6 weeks (≤ 30-minute exercise session, with 3-minute warm-up and 3-minute cool-down). Karvonen formula-based heartrate defined the weekly increase in exercise intensity. Outcome measures included body-composition parameters, isokinetic knee flexor and extensor strength tests, cardiopulmonary exercise test results, and rate of target HR achievement. Participants were at baseline and after the 6-week intervention. Results Unrelated personal events led 2 of 20 participants to drop out. The intervention and control groups had similar baseline characteristics. Compared with the control group, in the post-intervention isokinetic strength test, bilateral knee flexor and extensor power, and time to target HR achievement significantly increased each week in the intervention group. Conclusions Home-based exercise to achieve long-term cardiovascular fitness with portable electronic/mobile devices facilitates individualized exercise using real-time feedback to improve motivation and adherence. Trial registration: This study has been registered with crs.nih.go.kr (registration number, KCT 0008876) (16/10/2023).