Authors
Alis Kostanoglu, Elif Durgut, Merve Sevinc Gunduz, Ayca Arslanturk Yildirim, Gökhan Can Törpü, Abdurrahman Cahid Orengul
Published in
Disability and rehabilitation. Pages 1-16. Sep 26, 2026. Epub Sep 26, 2026.
Abstract
To compare the effects of virtual reality-based aerobic exercise (VR-AE) and traditional aerobic exercise (TAE) on on physical fitness, functional capacity, and quality of life (QoL) in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS).
Forty adolescents with DS (mean age 14.45 ± 1.22 years) were randomized to the VR-AE, TAE, or control group (CG). Both intervention groups completed 20 supervised sessions over 10 weeks. VR-AE involved Xbox Kinect-based exergaming, while TAE consisted of treadmill training. Physical fitness, functional capacity, QoL, physical activity, and enjoyment were assessed at baseline and post-intervention.
Both VR-AE and TAE improved selected anthropometric measures compared with CG (p < 0.05). VR-AE demonstrated greater improvements in flexibility, handgrip strength, and trunk endurance (p < 0.05), whereas TAE produced greater improvements in functional capacity and mobility (p < 0.05). Anthropometric improvements were comparable between intervention groups.
VR-AE and TAE showed different patterns of short-term improvement in adolescents with DS. Whilst these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the relatively small sample size and 10-week intervention period, they highlight the potential for supervised VR-AE and TAE to serve as practical exercise options that can be tailored to individual rehabilitation goals and preferences.
PMID:
42798248
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 26 Sep 2026.
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