McGowan 2018a.

Study characteristics
Methods	Design: RCT Baseline time point (T1): within 48 hours of admission Outcome time point (T2): day of discharge from hospital or day 7 of hospital admission if earlier
Participants	Inclusion criteria: aged > 65 years; admitted to hospital within the preceding 48 hours; able to sit in a chair independently and follow 1‐stage commands; expected length of stay at least a further 48 hours Exclusion criteria: terminally ill or moribund; needing isolation precautions; bed bound prior to admission; who had a condition that made them unable to use the pedal exerciser (e.g. lower limb fracture, lower limb pain, leg amputation or foot deformity) Exercise arm n at baseline: 24 Age mean: 87.1 (SD 9.2) years Women (n (%)): 16 (67) Barthel Index (0–20) on admission (mean): 15.71 (SD 3.93) Diagnosis of dementia (n (%)): 23.46 (4.85) Control arm n at baseline: 24 Age mean: 82.9 (SD 5.7) years Women (n (%)): 13 (54) Barthel Index (0–20) on admission (mean): 16.17 (SD 3.85) Diagnosis of dementia (n (%)): 22.88 (6.33)
Interventions	Exercise arm TIDieR item 1: (brief name: provide the name or a phrase that describes the intervention): chair‐based pedal exercises. TIDieR item 2: (why: describe any rationale, theory or goal of the elements essential to the intervention): it was hypothesised that resistance training as part of pedal exercise may improve muscle strength and physical activity. TIDieR item 3: (what (materials): describe any physical or informational materials used in the intervention, including those provided to participants or used in intervention delivery or in training of intervention providers): Able2‐pedal exerciser with pedometer (Able2 UK Ltd). TIDieR item 4: (what (procedures): describe each of the procedures, activities or processes (or a combination) used in the intervention, including any enabling or support activities): participants were asked to perform 5 minutes of chair‐based pedal exercise 3 times per day with no specified targets on number of pedal revolutions using an Able2‐pedal exerciser with pedometer. TIDieR item 5: (who provided: for each category of intervention provider (e.g. psychologist, nursing assistant), describe their expertise, background and any specific training given): the ward team would facilitate the pedal exercises and remind participants of it, but not be expected to remain with the participant throughout the exercise. TIDieR item 6: (how: describe the modes of delivery (such as face‐to‐face or by some other mechanism, such as Internet or telephone) of the intervention and whether it was provided individually or in a group): as per item 5. TIDieR item 7: (where: describe the type(s) of location(s) where the intervention occurred, including any necessary infrastructure or relevant features): 3 acute medical wards for older people. TIDieR item 8: (when and how much: describe the number of times the intervention was delivered and over what period of time including the number of sessions, their schedule, and their duration, intensity or dose): started in first 48 hours of admission, finished on day 7. 5 minutes of chair‐based pedal exercise 3 times per day. TIDieR item 9: (tailoring: if the intervention was planned to be personalised, titrated or adapted, then describe what, why, when and how): none other than the intensity was driven by the participant. TIDieR item 10: (modifications: if the intervention was modified during the course of the study, describe the changes (what, why, when and how)): not specified. TIDieR item 11: (how well (planned): if intervention adherence or fidelity was assessed, describe how and by whom, and if any strategies were used to maintain or improve fidelity, describe them): adherence was measured by time spent on the exerciser and total revolutions performed. TIDieR item 12: (how well (actual): if intervention adherence or fidelity was assessed, describe the extent to which the intervention was delivered as planned): the median number of revolutions cycled throughout the entire study period with the pedal exerciser was 152 (IQR 421, 43.5–464.5) revolutions. The median time spent on the pedal exerciser was 5.08 (IQR 18.02, 2.03–20.05) minutes across the whole study period. Control arm TIDieR item 1: usual care. TIDieR item 2: not specified. TIDieR item 3: not specified. TIDieR item 4: not specified. TIDieR item 5: not specified. TIDieR item 6: face‐to‐face. TIDieR item 7: 3 acute medical wards for older people. TIDieR item 8: not specified. TIDieR item 9: not specified. TIDieR item 10: not specified. TIDieR item 11: not specified. TIDieR item 12: not specified.
Outcomes	Elderly Mobility Scale at hospital discharge Length of hospital stay
Notes	Intervention group was older (87 in intervention group vs 83 in control group) with a greater proportion of women (67% in intervention group vs 54% in control group).