High intensity functional training for people with spinal cord injury & their care partners

Non-randomized clinical trial.

Examine the feasibility, physical and psychosocial effects of a high intensity functional training (HIFT) exercise program for people with spinal cord injury (pSCI) and their care partners (CPs).

Community fitness center in a Medically Underserved Area (Fort Smith, USA.) METHODS: A single-group design with three assessment points (before the program, at midpoint (13 weeks), and post-program (25 weeks) was used to examine the effects of up to 49 HIFT sessions over 25-weeks. Sessions were 60 to 75 min in duration and adapted to the abilities of participants. Feasibility measures included recruitment, retention, attendance, safety and fidelity (exercise intensity rated via session-Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Physical measures included cardiovascular endurance, anaerobic power, and muscular strength. Psychosocial measures included perceived social support for exercise, exercise self-efficacy and health-related quality of life.

Fourteen pSCI (7 with paraplegia and 7 with tetraplegia, 2 females) and 6 CPs (4 females) were included (median age = 60) (IQR = 15.8). Recruitment rates were 40% for pSCI and 32% for CPs. On average, participants attended 73% (22%) of exercise sessions with a median session-RPE of 5 (IQR = 1). Retention rates were 83% and 67% for pSCI and CPs, respectively. For pSCI and their CPs, large effect sizes were observed for cardiovascular endurance, anaerobic power, muscular strength, and social support for exercise.

For pSCI and their CPs, HIFT appears feasible and potentially leads to improvements in physical and psychosocial health for both groups.