Usability of a two-way personalized mobile trainer system in a community-based exercise program for adults with chronic traumatic brain injury

Objective: To examine the usability of an Apple Watch-based, two-way Personalized Mobile Trainer (PMT) in community-based exercise programs for individuals with chronic traumatic brain injury (cTBI). Methods: This is a prospective pilot study. Twenty participants with cTBI aged 46–73 were enrolled in a 3-month individualized exercise program. After one in-person training session on PMT and exercise program, participants were prescribed either aerobic exercise training (AET) or stretching and toning (SAT) performed at home. The PMT was used to remotely deliver updated exercise prescription, track exercise progress, and communicate with the participants. The primary outcome was compliance with the exercise programs. Results: All the participants completed the assigned exercise program with an average compliance of 76%. Nineteen (95%) participants were able to use the PMT properly during exercise sessions. After 3 months of training, the AET trended toward maintaining exercise endurance when compared with the SAT group (0.3% vs −4%, p = 0.14) with a medium effect size of 0.43. Conclusion: Using the PMT system to support and track exercise in community-based exercise programs is feasible. The PMT may promote compliance with the training program but testing its effectiveness with larger trials is warranted.