Using an Adaptive Rower for People Using Motorized Wheelchairs

Using an Adaptive Rower for People Using Motorized Wheelchairs to Improve Cardiovascular Fitness

The goal of this clinical trial are to determine the feasibility and impact of an adaptive rower exercise intervention for adults who use motorized wheelchairs for mobility.

The main question[s] it aims to answer are:

1. What is the impact on participant's cardiovascular endurance, and perception of mobility and quality of life?
2. Is the intervention feasible, acceptable and safe?

examine feasibility of the adaptive rower intervention through measures of acceptability, adherence, intensity and safety for adults who use motorized wheelchairs for mobility.

Participants will complete 12 sessions of 10-20 minutes of supervised and coached moderate to vigorous activity using the adaptive rower over a seven week period. Participants will complete pre- and post- outcome assessments of cardiovascular fitness, and outcome surveys,

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: People Who Use Motorized Wheelchairs for Mobility
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Adaptive Rowing

Detailed Description

A rolling prospective clinical trial with a target population of 10 participants in the Columbia, South Carolina area will evaluate the impact of the adaptive rower on cardiovascular fitness, participant perception and feasibility for people who use motorized wheelchairs.

Participants will be screened for inclusion/exclusion criteria, perform initial outcome measures and instructions on rowing in the first visit, and then have 12 exercise sessions over 6 or 7 weeks, followed by a final visit for final outcome measures. All research will occur at the University of South Carolina Rehab Lab in the public health research center building.

Over the 6-7 week intervention period, participants will exercise approximately two times per week, with two additional visits available in week 7 for any missed sessions to fulfill the 12-visit dosage. Session data will include measures of heart rate, 0-10 Borg rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and power output (rower output in watts). The session goal is to maintain moderate-vigorous intensities (5-8 on the Borg RPE scale) with individually modifiable intervals of work and rest with the goal of 10-20 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity total per session depending on the individual's initial fitness levels (as judged by self-reported activity level and performance on the initial six-minute arm test) and progressed as able. After completing the intervention period, participants will return for final evaluation.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • South Carolina
    • Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29208
      • Public Health Research Center
    • West Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29169
      • Still Hopes Retirement Community

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Use a motorized wheelchair for mobility
• Able to perform a rowing motion with upper extremities with or without grip aids

Exclusion Criteria:

• Existing pressure sores
• Increasing pain with rowing motion
• Unstable angina
• Uncontrolled arrythmia
• Acute illness with fever
• Blood pressure above 180/100 mmHg

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Single Group Intervention Arm - Adaptive Rowing; 12 supervised and coached sessions of 10-20 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise using an adaptive rower.	Behavioral: Adaptive Rowing; 12 supervised and coached sessions of 10-20 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise using an adaptive rower.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Six Minute Arm Test	Submaximal fitness test using an upper body ergometer. Maximum power, maximum rate of perceived exertion and maximum heart rate are recorded. Higher power, lower RPE and lower maximum heart rate is better outcome	Study Start (Week 1) and at Study Completion (week 7-8)
Spinal Cord Injury Functional Inventory basic mobility, motorized wheelchair mobility and resilience subscales	Scores from 0-100% where mean scores for population is 50%, higher score better outcome	Study Start (Week 1) and at Study Completion (week 7-8)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
System Usability Scale	a standardized 10-question survey for perception of usability, scored from 0-100%, higher score, better outcome	Study Completion (week 7-8)
Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale-Short (PACES-S)	a standardized 4-question survey for perception of enjoyment of a physical activity intervention, scale is 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), total score 4-20 with higher score as better outcome	Study Completion (week 7-8)
Heart Rate (beats per minute), mean and range at rest, mean and range during rowing	Heart rate will be recorded at rest and throughout the exercise intervention using a polar heart rate monitor and actigraph. Heart rate near target zone, better outcome	2 x a week through study completion, 7-8 weeks
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)-Borg 6-20 Scale	RPE will be verbally stated by participant and recorded by study personnel at beginning, mid and end of steady state portion, and at each interval for interval exercise. (RPE, 6-20, higher means higher intensity) RPE within target zone of moderate intensity (12-14) better outcome	2 x a week through study completion, 7-8 weeks
Pain Scale (0-10 visual analog scale) and body location of pain verbalized by participant and recorded by study personnel	participant complaints of discomfort or pain verbally stated along with location. Higher means worse pain, lower is better outcome	2 x a week through study completion, 7-8 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Short Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale	A standardized 9-question survey to measure participant confidence in being able to exercise under a variety of conditions. Scores are 0-90 where higher scores indicate better outcome .	Study Start (Week 1) and at Study Completion (week 7-8)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of South Carolina
• Collaborators: Foundation for Physical Therapy, Inc.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 15, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 2, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 6, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): August 9, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 24, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 20, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; rowing; motorized wheelchair; adaptive fitness
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: Pro00137469

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified data will be part of dissemination of project results and be shared on open science framework. Data shared would be basic demographics (age, sex), pre and post outcome measures (six minute arm test time, spinal cord functional index score, PROMIS Scales for wheelchair mobility and resilience), session data (minutes of rowing, minutes of rest time, RPE ratings, heart rate data, pain/soreness ratings)
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will be available after completion of the study when dissemination occurs; and will be available indefinitely
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: website

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No