Skip to main content

Home-Based Exercise, Coaching Improves Fitness in Neuromuscular Diseases

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 5, 2025.

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2025 -- Combined personalized home-based aerobic exercise and coaching improves physical fitness for people with neuromuscular diseases, according to a study published online June 4 in Neurology.

Sander Oorschot, from the University of Amsterdam, and colleagues examined the efficacy of combined personalized home-based aerobic exercise and coaching on physical fitness in people with neuromuscular diseases in a multicenter, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Participants with different types of neuromuscular diseases were randomly allocated to a six-month intervention or usual care (44 and 47 participants, respectively). Assessments were performed at baseline and at six and 12 months postintervention.

The researchers found that the mean group difference in physical fitness, measured as peak oxygen uptake, was 2.2 and 1.7 mL/min/kg directly after intervention and on average over time, respectively, in favor of the intervention group. In the secondary outcomes, including daily physical activity, quality of life, physical functioning, metabolic syndrome markers, and creatine kinase level, no significant between-group differences were seen. There were 25 and 22 adverse events reported in the intervention and usual care groups, respectively. No changes were seen in creatine kinase levels.

"Future research should look at how changes in fitness levels affect how well people with neuromuscular diseases can do everyday activities," coauthor Eric L. Voorn, Ph.D., also from the University of Amsterdam, said in a statement. "It should also look at ways to motivate people to keep exercising regularly in their daily lives to make sure the benefits of long-term treatments are maintained."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

2020 to 2023 Saw Sharp Increase in Nicotine Pouch Ingestions in Children

THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 -- Nicotine pouch ingestions increased 763.1 percent among children from 2020 to 2023, according to a study published online July 14 in...

Long-Term Obesity Linked to Expression of Aging Biomarkers

THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 -- Long-term obesity is associated with the expression of biomarkers denoting antagonistic and integrative aging hallmarks in adults aged 28 to 31 years...

Cerebroplacental Ratio Better Guides Delivery With Perceived Less Fetal Movement

THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 -- An additional ultrasound measurement to assess resistance in fetal blood vessels can improve the decision of whether to expedite birth when a woman in...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.