Effects of a Teleexercise Movement-to-Music Intervention on Health Outcomes in Individuals With Mobility Disabilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hui-Ju Young; Byron Lai; Jereme Wilroy; Avery Vitemb; Shiori Tanaka; Tapan S Mehta; Mohanraj Thirumalai; James H Rimmer

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2025.05.017

Effects of a Teleexercise Movement-to-Music Intervention on Health Outcomes in Individuals With Mobility Disabilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2025 May 29:S0003-9993(25)00724-5. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2025.05.017. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Hui-Ju Young¹, Byron Lai², Jereme Wilroy³, Avery Vitemb⁴, Shiori Tanaka⁵, Tapan S Mehta⁶, Mohanraj Thirumalai⁵, James H Rimmer⁴

Affiliations

¹ UAB SHP Research Collaborative, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL. Electronic address: hjyoung@uab.edu.
² Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
³ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
⁴ UAB SHP Research Collaborative, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
⁵ Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
⁶ Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.

PMID: 40449571
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2025.05.017

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effects of a 12-week online movement-to-music (eM2M) intervention on health outcomes in people with mobility disabilities.

Design: Two-arm randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Synchronous, online delivery over Zoom.

Participants: Adults (N=97) aged 18-70 and diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, Parkinson, or cerebral palsy were randomized either to eM2M (n=48) or control (n=49).

Interventions: eM2M participants completed three 60-minute sessions weekly for 12 weeks, whereas controls maintained usual activities.

Main outcome measures: Primary measures included resting heart rate, heart rate recovery, and grip strength. Secondary measures included Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), timed Up and Go, PROMIS 10 Global Health Items, Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities Short Form 8a, and Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire. Participants were assessed at baseline and postintervention, with intent-to-treat mixed-model analysis of covariance as primary analyses.

Results: After adjusting for baseline and mobility groups, there was no significant between-group difference in resting heart rate postintervention, though eM2M had a greater reduction in heart rate at minute-1 recovery (LSM=33.7%, P=.04). No difference was observed in dominant hand grip strength, whereas controls showed a significantly greater increase in nondominant grip strength compared to eM2M (LSM=-1.76kg, P=.03). In contrast, eM2M demonstrated significant improvements in overall SPPB (LSM=0.52, P=.048), gait speed (LSM=0.32, P=.02), and both physical (LSM difference=2.08, P=.04) and mental (LSM=2.22, P=.02) health compared to controls. No group differences were observed in social participation. After removing outliers, eM2M showed a significant increase in physical activity compared to controls (LSM=11.55, P=.02).

Conclusions: Movement-to-music delivered online may improve cardiorespiratory fitness, mobility, quality of life, and physical activity in people with mobility disabilities.

Keywords: Health; Mobility disability; Movement-to-music; Quality of life; Rehabilitation; Teleexercise.