Physical Activity Through Health Technology in Axial Spondyloarthritis

Expanding Access to Early Exercise Prescriptions for Underserved Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Digital Health Approach

The purpose of this study is to find out whether a mobile app called the ExerciseRx app is a practical and helpful way for people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) to receive exercise recommendations as part of their regular rheumatology care.

Researchers want to learn:

Whether people with axSpA find the ExerciseRx app easy to use and helpful for supporting regular exercise.

Whether using the ExerciseRx app leads to improvements in symptoms, physical function, and disease activity compared with usual care.

Participants assigned to the ExerciseRx group will use the app to complete guided exercises for 20-30 minutes, four times per week. They will also receive personalized weekly step-count goals to help increase their physical activity. Researchers will compare outcomes between participants using the app and those receiving usual care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis by a rheumatologist
• English speaking
• Insufficiently active (less than 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week)
• Willing to wear a Fitbit for the study duration
• Willing to have or create a Google account and download the Google Health app (previously known as the Fitbit app)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Currently pregnant
• International travel or any circumstance causing lack of access to wi-fi/Internet at any point during the study period
• Recent or planned surgery that may affect ability to engage in physical activity
• Unable to exercise for health reasons, or a provider has recommended against exercising for safety/health reasons
• Unable to walk safely without difficulty, or is a fall risk (i.e., 3+ falls in past 6 months)
• History of a fall resulting in a fracture or head injury in the past 6 months
• Cardiovascular contraindicators for physical activity, or history of cardiovascular problems that may be exacerbated by physical activity, as defined by their rheumatologist
• Diabetes causing hypoglycemia following physical activity