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Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

ISSN: 2690-0297

Case Series Open Access
Volume 7 | Issue 1 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.33696/rehabilitation.7.056

At-Home High-Intensity Interval Training for Individuals with Paraplegia Following Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series

Kevin L. Webb1,#, Margaux B. Linde2,#, Daniel D. Veith2,*, Olaf H. Morkeberg1, Megan L. Gill2, Meegan G. Van Straaten2, Edward R. Laskowski3, Michael J. Joyner1, Lisa A. Beck2, Kristin D Zhao2, Kristin L. Garlanger2,#, Chad C. Wiggins1,4,#,*
  • 1Human & Integrative Physiology and Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
  • 2Assistive & Restorative Technology Laboratory, Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
  • 3Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
  • 4Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
  • #indicates authors contributed equally as first and senior authors
+ Affiliations - Affiliations

Corresponding Author

Daniel D. Veith, veith.daniel@mayo.edu; Chad C. Wiggins, wiggin92@msu.edu

Received Date: September 27, 2025

Accepted Date: December 03, 2025

Citation:

Webb KL, Linde MB, Veith DD, Morkeberg OH, Gill ML, Van Straaten MG, et al. At-Home High-Intensity Interval Training for Individuals with Paraplegia Following Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series. J Phys Med Rehabil. 2025;7(1):127–139.


Copyright: © 2025 Webb KL, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a 16-week at-home high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Method: Eight individuals (3 females) with chronic SCI below the sixth thoracic vertebrae participated in a 16-week at-home HIIT program using an arm ergometer. Participants completed baseline graded exercise tests to determine target heart rate zones. HIIT was prescribed three times per week. Each training session included six one-minute bouts with a target heart rate ~80% heart rate reserve (HRR), interspersed with two minutes of recovery (~30% HRR). A portable heart rate monitor and phone application provided visual feedback during training and allowed for measurements of adherence and compliance. Surveys were administered to assess participation, self-efficacy, and satisfaction.

Results: Participants demonstrated a decrease in submaximal cardiac output by ~17% (P=0.028) and an increase in peak power output by ~26% (P=0.027) following HIIT. An 87% adherence rate was achieved during the HIIT program. Self-reported metrics of satisfaction and self-efficacy with at-home HIIT scored moderate to high.

Conclusion: Participants demonstrated an improvement in cardiac efficiency during submaximal exercise, and maximal work capacity following at-home HIIT. Additionally, participant adherence, compliance, satisfaction, and self-efficacy metrics suggest that at-home HIIT was easily implemented and enjoyable.

Keywords

High-intensity Interval Training, Cardiovascular Health, VO2max, Arm Ergometry, Spinal Cord Injury

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