Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan 19;7(1):100423.
doi: 10.1016/j.arrct.2024.100423. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Qualitative Exploration of a Tele-exercise Program to Inform the Design of Adaptive Intervention Strategies for Adults With Multiple Sclerosis

Yumi Kim  1   2 , Elizabeth A Barstow  3 , Byron Lai  2   4 , Dorothy W Pekmezi  5 , Hui-Ju Young  2 , Jereme Wilroy  1   2 , Soumya J Niranjan  6 , James H Rimmer  2 , Tapan Mehta  2   7
Affiliations

Qualitative Exploration of a Tele-exercise Program to Inform the Design of Adaptive Intervention Strategies for Adults With Multiple Sclerosis

Yumi Kim et al. Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl. .

Abstract

Objective: (1) To examine the experiences and perceptions of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who previously completed a 3-month tele-exercise program; (2) to identify modifiable factors regarding the program components and implementation procedures that could be used to develop an adaptive tele-exercise intervention.

Design: A qualitative study using a semistructured interview guide.

Setting: An extension of a comparative effectiveness trial delivered for 761 people with MS between 2016 and 2021. Interviews were conducted over Zoom or phone.

Participants: Twenty-two adults with MS who completed the 3-month program (age range, 24-67y, 86% women, 73% Caucasian, 68% relapsing-remitting MS). Participants presented a wide range of mobility disabilities, ranging from no mobility limitation to wheelchair or scooter (n=22).

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Thematic analysis of the transcribed interview led to the identification of desirable components and delivery mechanisms of the tele-exercise program.

Results: Our analysis indicated the importance of individualized and ongoing modification of exercise program content to accommodate changes in participants' functional abilities and health status. Participants reported an ideal timepoint of human support, preferably every 3 weeks, via phone or videoconference calls to capture the intervention modification needs (eg, exercise position, intensity, and clarification of exercise instruction). We further identified desirable components for behavioral modifications, such as inclusion of an exercise companion and self-monitoring tool and postintervention resources for sustaining exercise participation during follow-up periods.

Conclusions: The findings of this study offer insights into tailoring future adaptive tele-exercise intervention designs aimed at promoting engaging and sustainable exercise participation in people with MS.

Keywords: Exercise therapy; Health behavior; Multiple sclerosis; Qualitative research; Rehabilitation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

T.M. received consulting fees from the American Physical Therapy Association, New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center, The Obesity Journal, PLoS One, Novo Nordisk, and Heart Rhythm Clinical Research Solutions. The other authors have nothing to disclose.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Participant flow.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Siffrin V, Vogt J, Radbruch H, Nitsch R, Zipp F. Multiple sclerosis – candidate mechanisms underlying CNS atrophy. Trends Neurosci. 2010;33:202–210. - PubMed
    1. Kister I, Bacon TE, Chamot E, et al. Natural history of multiple sclerosis symptoms. Int J MS Care. 2013;15:146–158. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lai B, Young HJ, Bickel CS, Motl RW, Rimmer JH. Current trends in exercise intervention research, technology, and behavioral change strategies for people with disabilities: a scoping review. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2017;96:748–761. - PubMed
    1. Motl RW, Sandroff BM, Kwakkel G, et al. Exercise in patients with multiple sclerosis. Lancet Neurol. 2017;16:848–856. - PubMed
    1. Sá MJ. Exercise therapy and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review. J Neurol. 2014;261:1651–1661. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources