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Updated: Jun 23, 2025
Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
Association between remote resistance exercises programs delivered by a smartphone application and skeletal muscle
Jing Yang1, Hongyu Tan2, Haoyan Yu3
1Department of Rehabilitation, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Liaoning, China.
Objective:
We aimed to explore the relationship between remote resistance exercise programs delivered via a smartphone application and skeletal muscle mass among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes, utilizing real-world data.
Methods:
The resistance exercises were provided through Joymotion®, a web-based telerehabilitation smartphone application (Shanghai Medmotion Medical Management Co., Ltd). The primary outcome was the changes in skeletal muscle index (SMI) before and after the remote resistance exercises programs. The secondary outcomes were changes in skeletal muscle cross-sectional area (SMA), skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD) and intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT).
Results:
A total of 101 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes were analyzed. The participants had an average age of 72.9 ± 6.11 years for males and 74.4 ± 4.39 years for females. The pre- and post-intervention SMI mean (± SE) was 31.64 ± 4.14 vs. 33.25 ± 4.22 cm2/m2 in male, and 22.72 ± 3.24 vs. 24.28 ± 3.60 cm2/m2 in female respectively (all P < 0.001). Similarly, a statistically significant improvement in SMA, IMAT, and SMD for both male and female groups were also observed respectively (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression models showed potential confounding factors of baseline hemoglobin A1c and duration of diabetes with changes in SMI in male, while hemoglobin A1c and high density lipoprotein cholesterol with changes in SMI in female.
Conclusion:
Remote resistance exercises programs delivered by a smartphone application were feasible and effective in helping elderly patients with type 2 diabetes to improve their skeletal muscle mass.
