Facilitating fitness for wheelchair users: exploring safety and usability of a standing active arm passive leg exercise device.

INTRODUCTION

Exercising upright can promote rehabilitation and reduce the risk of cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal complications from prolonged sitting. Seated Active Arm Passive Leg Exercise (AAPLE) offers cardiovascular benefits; however, no commercially available device currently enables fully supported, upright AAPLE. The AAPLEwalk device transitions wheelchair users from sitting to standing, facilitating gait-like movements at varying intensities. An iterative development process incorporating user feedback refined the design from version 1 (v1) to version 2 (v2), which had yet to be formally evaluated.

PURPOSE: (1) To assess the perceptions of non-disabled users and wheelchair users regarding the safety, usability, and functionality of AAPLEwalk™ v2. (2) To compare user experiences between v1 and v2 among a sub-sample who tested both.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Participants were fitted to the AAPLEwalk. Before wheelchair users, non-disabled users initially tested the device to ensure skin and pressure safety. We explored comfort, usability, and design modifications through informal discussions, formal semi-structured interviews, and measured System Usability Scale (SUS) scores.

RESULTS

Fourteen non-disabled and six wheelchair users participated. Respectively, average SUS scores were 70 (non-disabled) and 72 (wheelchair), ranking in the 50th and 80th percentiles. Three themes emerged: (1) A good workout, (2) Feeling secure, (3) Maximizing independence. Users reported physical, mental, and emotional benefits, finding AAPLEwalk v2 safe, comfortable, and feasible for independent use with practice.

CONCLUSION

The AAPLEwalk appears to be a promising device for enabling upright APPLE for wheelchair users. Future research should assess the device's physiological impact and long-term fitness benefits.