Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2025
04:24
A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
Published on: April 19, 2019
11.7K
Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Closure and Home-Based Exercise Training During the First COVID-19 Lockdown in
Stefan Tino Kulnik1, Mahdi Sareban1,2,3, Isabel Höppchen1,4
1Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Prevention, Salzburg, Austria.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 4, 2022
Summary
The COVID-19 lockdown significantly reduced cardiac rehabilitation patients' exercise capacity. Group-based supervised exercise training is crucial for maintaining physical activity and fitness, highlighting the need for remote CR options.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread disruptions in healthcare services, including cardiac rehabilitation (CR).
- Understanding the impact of these disruptions on patient outcomes is essential for adapting services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of interrupted group-based CR during the COVID-19 lockdown on patients' physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular risk.
- To explore patients' experiences with home-based exercise during lockdown.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods study comparing pre-lockdown medical data with post-lockdown measurements in 27 cardiac rehabilitation patients.
- Quantitative assessments included exercise capacity and cardiovascular risk factors.
- Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews on patient experiences.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in exercise capacity (maximal and submaximal ergometry) were observed post-lockdown.
- Cardiovascular risk factors showed no significant changes.
- Most patients remained active but reported decreased exercise intensity and fitness, missing the social and motivational aspects of group CR.
Conclusions:
- Disruption to supervised group-based cardiac rehabilitation negatively impacts patients' exercise capacity and physical activity levels.
- The findings underscore the importance of structured CR programs and suggest a need for developing effective remote CR modalities.
