. 2021 Jan 7;21:23. doi: 10.1186/s12877-020-01964-3

Table 4.

Exercise training program for both usual care (Control group) and Intervention group

Aerobic endurance training 6 days /week (40 min)
• Supervised individually tailored group training (6–7 patients) • From low to moderate continuous endurance training on cycle ergometer	• Warm up (< 50% target intensity 2 min, gradually increasing load 1–10 W/min up to target intensity within 5–10 min); • exercise phase (100% of the target intensity (30–50% watt_max or 60–70% maximal heart rate (HR_max)), starting with > 5 min and gradually lengthening up to 30 min); • cool down with gradual reduction of the load within 3 min
Aerobic dynamic gymnastics 5 days/week (30 min)
• Supervised individually tailored group training (6–7 patients) • From low to moderate intensity exercises, BORG ≤13 • 1 min of exercises, 45 s rest • From easy/known exercise - to harder/unknown • Equipment: small gymnastic ball, gymnastic stick, chair	• Stretching and breathing exercises (5 min) for warm up and cool down • Seated march: Raising one knee after another, returning to starting position • Straightening bent elbow while standing in front and bending back • Waist bend to both sides while standing • Knee bends in combination with swinging arms • Side/back steps in combination with arm lift • Marching while standing: from heel lift to gentle march involving arm movement • Heel kicks – toe tap behind opposite heel/heel kick behind
Respiratory muscle training 7 days/week, (15 min)
• Unsupervised exercises after two individually supervised trainings • Equipment: lung exerciser (Respiprogram, Germany). • 10 repetitions, rest between sessions, repeat few times per day.	• Patient was told to slowly and deeply inhale to raise yellow ball. Than hold breath for at least 5 s and exhale until the ball falls.

Aerobic endurance training 6 days /week (40 min)

• Supervised individually tailored group training (6–7 patients)

• From low to moderate continuous endurance training on cycle ergometer

• Warm up (< 50% target intensity 2 min, gradually increasing load 1–10 W/min up to target intensity within 5–10 min);

• exercise phase (100% of the target intensity (30–50% watt_max or 60–70% maximal heart rate (HR_max)), starting with > 5 min and gradually lengthening up to 30 min);

• cool down with gradual reduction of the load within 3 min

Aerobic dynamic gymnastics 5 days/week (30 min)

• Supervised individually tailored group training (6–7 patients)

• From low to moderate intensity exercises, BORG ≤13

• 1 min of exercises, 45 s rest

• From easy/known exercise - to harder/unknown

• Equipment: small gymnastic ball, gymnastic stick, chair

• Stretching and breathing exercises (5 min) for warm up and cool down

• Seated march: Raising one knee after another, returning to starting position

• Straightening bent elbow while standing in front and bending back

• Waist bend to both sides while standing

• Knee bends in combination with swinging arms

• Side/back steps in combination with arm lift

• Marching while standing: from heel lift to gentle march involving arm movement

• Heel kicks – toe tap behind opposite heel/heel kick behind

Respiratory muscle training 7 days/week, (15 min)

• Unsupervised exercises after two individually supervised trainings

• Equipment: lung exerciser (Respiprogram, Germany).

• 10 repetitions, rest between sessions, repeat few times per day.

• Patient was told to slowly and deeply inhale to raise yellow ball. Than hold breath for at least 5 s and exhale until the ball falls.