SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 1
Connected mobile-Health delivered physical function training for the recreational golfer in cardiac rehabilitation
»Golf is a popular sport with over twenty-five million people (about the population of Texas) playing golf on a course in 2022. Golf participation in older adults (>65 years) continues to increase and its popularity is anticipated to grow. Low muscle mass and the resultant loss of strength and function is known as sarcopenia and affects an average of 5 – 13% of persons over age 60. A primary therapeutic intervention to prevent and reverse this loss is resistance exercise. Optimizing the physical function of the recreational golfer in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) with a focus on improved strength and mobility may slow and potentially reverse age-related muscle loss, prevent injury, and enhance enjoyment of this lifetime sport. A prescribed exercise therapy routine for golf delivered to the home via a Connected mobile-Health (CmH) application provides a novel intervention that can be a supplement to traditional centered-based CR. This communication platform enables the clinician to create a shared patient account to send prescribed exercise demonstration videos directly to a mobile device and review progress. Advantages of CmH in rehabilitation include the remote asynchronous delivery of a clinician guided progressive home exercise plan with visual instruction and education, the option for the patient to independently track performance and report symptoms, intermittent onsite clinician feedback and program adjustment and a mechanism for patient accountability with a predetermined negotiated plan. A hybrid rehabilitation model that combines onsite supervision with CmH delivered exercise therapy has the potential to enhance patient engagement in their health management. Clinician prescribed resistance band exercises can improve physical function and provides a low-risk training modality for the recreational golfer. Participation in a lifelong sport such as golf may motivate patients to remain physically active beyond center-based CR and improve quality life.«
(Proceedings of a conference. Arizona Society of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, Arizona; Paul, F., Nania. T., Filler, C., Scales,r. 2023)
