Participants were given Treadmill exercise training, lower extremity progressive resistance training using a Cybex leg press machine, and a 1-hour adaptive physical activity (APA) programme in which participants were required to walk for 12 minutes through an obstacle course in which they must clear 10 cm high boards, climb 3 steps and walk sideways through hula-hoops placed on the floor all the while dual-tasking i.e. waving at strategically placed signs, conversing while walking and picking up objects. Participants also performed exercises at the parallel bars which included weight-shifting from leg to leg and half-squatting; they were also guided through seated upper- and lower-limb stretching exercises for range of motion and trunk mobility. All exercise sessions were supervised by physiotherapists. For two of the weekdays on which participants did not attend supervised training, they were asked to walk for 30 minutes at home and perform the APA exercises described above.

Participants were required to do 5-12 chair rises and also 30-minutes walking 5 days per week. Upper limb and trunk flexibility exercises were also taught.

Supervised high-intensity combined-modality exercise was administered to participants in the exercise arm for 3 times per week for 6 months. A post-exercise recovery protein drink (31g whey-based) was given within 15 minutes after each supervised exercise session.

Distance walked in 6 minutes

Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale: minimum score = 0 (low function, dependent); maximum score = 8 (high function, independent). Lower scores indicate a worse outcome.

1-repetition maximum (RM) strength

weekly energy expenditure

speed in the timed-10-metre walk

dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measured appendicular lean mass summed and divided by height squared, expressed in kg/m2

Berg balance test score: minimum score = 0, maximum score = 56. Lower values indicate worse outcome

dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) determined: fat mass subtracted from weight, expressed in kg

Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression [CES-D] score: minimum score = 0, maximum score = 60, with higher scores indicating more depressive symptoms