Train at home, but not alone: a randomised controlled multicentre trial assessing the effects of live-streamed tele-exercise during COVID-19-related lockdowns

• Published in: British journal of sports medicine Vol. 56; no. 12; pp. 667 - 675
• Main Authors: Wilke, Jan, Mohr, Lisa, Yuki, Gustavo, Bhundoo, Adelle Kemlall, Jiménez-Pavón, David, Laiño, Fernando, Murphy, Niamh, Novak, Bernhard, Nuccio, Stefano, Ortega-Gómez, Sonia, Pillay, Julian David, Richter, Falk, Rum, Lorenzo, Sanchez-Ramírez, Celso, Url, David, Vogt, Lutz, Hespanhol, Luiz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine 01.06.2022; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Anxiety; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Digital archives; exercise; Original Research; preventive medicine; randomised controlled trial; well-being; United States > US; Germany; COVID-19; well-being; exercise; randomised controlled trial; preventive medicine
• ISSN: 0306-3674; 1473-0480
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104994

ObjectivePublic life restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic caused reductions in physical activity (PA) and decreases in mental and somatic health. Considering the interplay between these factors, we investigated the effects of digital home exercise (DHE) during government-enforced lockdowns.MethodsA multicentre randomised controlled trial was performed allocating healthy individuals from nine countries (N=763; 523 female) to a DHE or an inactive control group. During the 4-week main intervention, DHE members engaged in live-streamed multicomponent home exercise. Subsequently, both groups had access to prerecorded workouts for an additional 4 weeks. Outcomes, assessed weekly, included PA level (Nordic Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7), mental well-being (WHO-5 Questionnaire), sleep quality (Medical Outcome Study Sleep Scale), pain/disability (Chronic Pain Grade Scale) and exercise motivation (Self-Concordance Scale). Mixed models were used for analysis.ResultsLive-streamed DHE consistently increased moderate PA (eg, week 1: 1.65 times more minutes per week, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.94) and vigorous PA (eg, week 1: 1.31 times more minutes per week, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.61), although the effects decreased over time. In addition, exercise motivation, sleep quality and anxiety were slightly improved for DHE in the 4-week live streaming period. The same applied to mental well-being (mean difference at week 4: +0.99, 95% CI 0.13 to 1.86), but an inverted trend was observed after live streaming was substituted by prerecorded exercise.ConclusionsLive-streamed DHE represents an efficacious method to enhance PA and selected markers of health during pandemic-related public life restrictions. However, research on implementation is warranted to reduce dropout rates.Trial Registration numberDRKS00021273.