EFFECTIVENESS OF MINIMALLY SUPERVISED HOME AEROBIC TRAINING IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC RHEUMATIC DISEASE

The effectiveness of an exercise prescription and unsupervised home ex ercise programme was tested on 37 subjects with rheumatoid arthritis a nd 34 with systemic lupus erythematosus. Subjects were randomly assign ed to control or stationary bicycling at home, using loaned bicycles. Exercise subjects (with bicycles) did better than controls, but not si gnificantly, on all outcomed measures (exercise tolerance test, fatigu e, depression and helplessness) at 3 months. Bicycles were reclaimed a t 3 months and all subjects in both groups given instructions for home exercise. Exercise in the second 3 months was predicted primarily by baseline exercise habits and fatigue. It is concluded that although sa fe, unsupervised home exercise programmes may benefit few patients. Fu ture research should address methods of stimulating and maintaining un supervised exercise programmes in patients with systemic rheumatic dis ease.