Tele-exercise and spinal cord injury: Effects on physical activity, strength, and quality of life.

Context: People with spinal cord injuries (SCI) face barriers to physical activity, which a synchronous tele-exercise program aims to overcome.

Objective: To assess strength, physical activity levels, and quality of life in people with SCI following a synchronous tele-exercise program.

Methods: Ten people with SCI (T3 = 1; T4 = 2; T6 = 2; T7 = 1; T10 = 2; T12 = 2) participated in a 12-week tele-exercise program, consisting of three weekly sessions focused on strength training. Before and after the intervention, participants underwent a strength test and completed the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Paired t-tests were applied, except for the psychological domain, which was analyzed using the Wilcoxon test.

Results: The results of the strength test showed an increase in the number of repetitions between the pre- (19.7 ± 7.0) and post-intervention moments (25.1 ± 7.3; P < 0.001). The tele-exercise program identified an increase in the level of physical activity compared to the pre- (3.0 ± 2.0) and post-intervention (6.8 ± 3.4 MET h/week; P = 0.002) moments. In quality of life, there was an increase in scores in all domains: physical, psychological, environmental, and social. Despite the nominal increase, the physical domain showed no differences (P = 0.475).

Conclusion: Synchronous tele-exercise is a viable approach for this population, improving strength, physical activity levels, and quality of life in people with SCI.