The Administration Of Exercise Via Telehealth Promotes Physiological Benefits Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

INTRO: COVID-19 is a global pandemic that has caused mild-to-severe side effects and has impacted lives around the world. The virus can affect individuals of all ages; however, the most susceptible population, accounting for 94% of all COVID-related deaths in the US, has been individuals with underlying comorbidities. Obesity is a major contributor to various chronic diseases with ~68% of the US population considered obese or overweight, with the pandemic exacerbating growth in sedentary behaviors and negatively affecting quality of life. Exercise is a proven method to attenuate obesity and chronic disease. During social distancing and safer at home measures, in-person exercise administration may not be possible; however, the administration of rehabilitation via telehealth may allow for safe and effective exercise prescription at home. PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of telehealth delivery of individualized, exercise rehabilitation to clients with diagnosed disease(s). METHODS: Clients diagnosed with cancer, cardiovascular, or metabolic diseases were recruited to participate in a 5-week individualized, telehealth exercise intervention led by clinical exercise physiologists. Exercise consisted of cardiovascular endurance (CV), upper and lower body muscular endurance (UM and LM), core endurance (CE), balance (BAL), and flexibility (FLEX). Pre-to-post assessments of CV, UM, LM, CE, BAL, and FLEX were conducted utilizing the step, push-up, chair squat, plank, and wall sit-and-reach tests, respectively. Paired sample t-tests were used to analyze differences pre-to-post. RESULTS: Twenty-six subjects participated, yielding an attendance rate of 95.6%. Improvements were observed in CV (+6.7%, p = 0.008), UM (+41.1%, p = 0.001), LM (+14.9%, p = 0.026), and CE (+14.56%, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 has resulted in an increase in sedentary behaviors; however, the administration of exercise can promote an active and healthy lifestyle and has been proven to increase immune function despite exposure to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. Our results suggest that exercise interventions delivered via telehealth are feasible and promote physiological benefits that may attenuate obesity, chronic disease, and improve side effects of COVID-19.