Design and participant characteristics
| Reference and country | Study design | Sample size (I and C) | Male/female (%) | Age (years) | BMI (kg/m2) | Condition and severity | Criteria for condition |
| Duruturk and Özköslü,45 Turkey | Randomised controlled trial | n=44 (I=23, C=21) | I=male 52% C=male 67% | I=53±12 C=53±10 | I=32.1±6.5 C=29.9±4.6 | T2DM | Clinical diagnosis of T2DM in previous 6 months |
| Tsai et al,35 Australia | Randomised controlled trial | n=36 (I=19, C=17) | I=male 63% C=male 35% | I=73±8 C=75±9 | I=28±4 C=28±5 | COPD | Primary medical diagnosis of stable COPD (FEV1/FVC <70% and FEV1 <80% predicted postbronchodilator) |
| Lai et al,50 USA | Quasi-randomised controlled mixed-methods trial | n=20 (I=10, C=10) | I=male 70% C=male 70% | I=63±10 C=71±7 | I=29.2±6.7 C=27.2±7.2 | Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease | Clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease; Hoehn and Yahr score of 1–3 |
| Knox et al,30 UK | Non-randomised controlled trial | n=45 (I=21, C=24) | I=male 67% C=male 42% | I=70±11 C=69±13 | N/A | Chronic lung condition | Clinical diagnosis of COPD, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic asthma; MRC breathlessness score ≥3, on optimal medications, no exacerbations within 6 weeks |
| Fjeldstad-Pardo et al,48 USA | 3-arm randomised controlled trial | n=29 (I=10, C=10, PT=9) | I=male 30% C=male 40% PT=male 22% | I=55±14 C=54±11 PT=55±14 | N/A | MS | Clinical diagnosis of MS |
| Hansen et al,28 Denmark | Randomised controlled trial | n=134 (I=67, C=67) | I=male 48% C=male 42% | I=68±9 C=68±9 | I=25.5±5.0 C=25.9±6.4 | Severe COPD | Clinical diagnosis of COPD defined as FEV1/FVC <0.70, FEV1 <50%, MRC ≥2 |
| Peng et al,41 China | Randomised controlled trial | n=98 (I=49, C=49) | I=male 57% C=male 61% | I*≤60=14 (28.6%) >60=35 (71.4%) C*≤60=16 (32.7%) >60=33 (67.3%) | N/A | HF | Primary diagnosis of chronic HF for at least 3 months, NYHA classification I–III |
| Hwang et al,40 Australia | Randomised controlled trial | n=53 (I=24, C=29) | I=male 79% C=male 72% | I=68±14 C=67±11 | I=31.0±8.0 C=32.0±6.0 | HF | Clinical diagnosis of HF confirmed by an echocardiogram |
| Hickman et al,46 Australia | Randomised controlled trial | n=35 (I=23, C=12) | I=male 65% C=male 83% | I=51±15 C=50±15 | I=27.6±8.4 C=29.2±8.4 | Liver transplantation | >6 months post liver transplantation |
| Doiron-Cadrin et al,57 Canada | 3-arm randomised controlled trial | n=34 (I=12, IP=11, C=11) | I=male 36% IP=male 17% C=male 27% | I=70±9 IP=61±8 C=67±9 | I=30.4±3.6 IP=30.6±6.1 C=29.5±6.2 | Knee/hip osteoarthritis | Severe knee or hip OA and on wait list for TKA or THA |
| Baillot et al,44 Canada | 3-arm non-parallel non-randomised controlled trial | n=29 (I=6, PT=12, C=11) | I=male 0% PT=male 0% C=male 0% | I†=45 (40–55) PT†=45 (39–55) C†=44 (37–46) | I†=46.6 (39.2–48.5) PT†=44.4 (40.7–53.5) C†=48.4 (40.6–53.3) | Obesity | BMI ≥35 with comorbidities or ≥40 kg/m2 |
| Scalvini et al,42 Italy | Non-randomised controlled trial | n=200 (I=100, C=100) | I=male 86% C=male 89% | I=63±12 C=63±11 | I=BW=64±8 C=BW=62±5 | Cardiac disorder | Recent cardiac surgery and eligible for cardiac rehabilitation, EuroSCORE 0–5 |
| Burkow et al,27 Norway | Single-arm trial | I=10 | I=male 50% | I=62 | I=N/A | COPD | Clinical diagnosis of COPD from medical professional |
| Coats et al,55 Canada | Single-arm trial | I=5 | I=male 60% | I=62±7 | I=24±3 | Cancer (toracic neoplasia) | Clinical diagnosis of unresectable thoracic neoplasia and receiving chemotherapy |
| Holland et al,29 Australia | Single-arm trial | I=8 | I=male 37.5% | I=66 | N/A | COPD | Clinical diagnosis of COPD confirmed via spirometry |
| Lai et al,51 USA | Single-arm trial | I=4 | I=male 75% | I=44±5 | I=28.9±9.8 | Spinal cord injury | Clinical diagnosis of SCI, use of a wheelchair as primary means of mobility |
| Marquis et al,31 Canada | Single-arm trial | I=23 | I=male 40% | I=65±7 | I=27±5.8 | COPD | Clinical diagnosis of COPD (FEV1 <70% of expected value, FEV1:FVC ratio <0.7) |
| Rosenbek Minet et al,32 Denmark | Single-arm trial | I=37 | I=male 14% | I=69±9 | I‡=23±5 | COPD | Clinical diagnosis of severe–very severe COPD (FEV1 <50% of expected value, FEV1:FVC ratio <70%); MRC grade 3–5 |
| Ptomey et al,53 USA | Single-arm trial | I=9 | I=male 44% | I=74±10 | I=29.0±6.1 | AD | Clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate AD |
| Simonÿ et al,33 Denmark | Single-arm trial | I=15 | I=male 53% | I=62±9 | N/A | COPD | Clinical diagnosis of COPD |
| Tousignant et al,38 Canada | Single-arm trial | I=3 | I=male 66% | I=58±12 | N/A | COPD | Clinical diagnosis of COPD (FEV1 between 30% and 50%) |
| Tousignant et al,43 Canada | Single-arm trial | I=4 | I=male 100% | I=66±6 | N/A | Heart Failure | Clinical HF diagnosis (LVEF ≤40%, NYHA I–III) |
| Hüzmeli et al,49 Turkey | Single-arm trial | I=10 | I=male 60% | I=53±6 | N/A | Stroke | Third or higher Brunnstrom stage |
| Tomlinson et al,34 UK | Single-arm trial | I=7 | I=male 66% | I=30±9 | I=22.8±3.7 | Cystic fibrosis | Clinical diagnosis of cystic fibrosis |
| Bernocchi et al,47 Italy | Single-arm trial | I=26 | I=male 62% | I=70±10 | N/A | Stroke | Clinical diagnosis of stroke (cerebral ischaemia or haemorrhage), functional deficit of the upper limb |
| Lai et al,52 China | Single-arm trial | I=21 | I=male 57% | I=70±6 | I=22.9±2.4 | Stroke | Clinical diagnosis of stroke (at least 6 months previously), ambulatory without aid, MMSE scores of less than 18 |
| Chen et al,39 USA | Single-arm trial | I=14 | I=male 35% | I=15±2 | I=24.2±7.8 | Paediatric heart transplantation | Between 9 and 18 years of age, heart transplant (at least 12 months before baseline visit) |
| Zanaboni et al,36 Norway | Single-arm trial | I=10 | I=male 50% | I=55±6 | I=27.9±7.3 | COPD | Clinical diagnosis of moderate/severe COPD (GOLD guidelines) |
| Charles et al,54 France | Single-arm trial | I=16 | I=Male 50% | I=54±12 | BMI categories§ Normal 56.25%, overweight 31.25%, obese 12.5% | Cancer | Outpatients with cancer 18–75 years old |
| Lambert et al,56 Canada | Single-arm trial | I=9 | I=male 25% | I=9 (8 to 14.5)¶ | I=21.6±6.6 | Cancer | Clinical diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma |
| Lewis et al,37 UK | Single-arm trail | I=14 | I=male 47% | I=70±11 | I=26.6±13.6 | CRD | Clinical diagnosis of CRD |
| Patel et al,58 India | Single-arm trial | I=47 | I=male 51% | I=61±13 | N/A | Cardiac, pulmonary or oncology conditions | Clinical diagnosis of a cardiac, pulmonary or oncology condition |
Data are mean±SD, unless otherwise stated.
*Number of participants and % over age thresholds.
†Median (IQR).
‡Data obtained via author contact.
§Percentage of total participant number.
¶Median (range).
AD, Alzheimer’s disease; BMI, body mass index; BW, body weight; C, comparator; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRD, chronic respiratory disease; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC, forced vital capacity; GOLD, global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease; HF, heart failure; I, intervention; IP, in-person; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; MRC, Medical Research Council; MS, multiple sclerosis; N/A, not available; NYHA, New York Heart Association; OA, osteoarthritis; PT, personal training; SCI, spinal cord injury; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; THA, total hip arthroplasty; TKA, total knee arthroplasty.