Aerobic exercise protocol for people living with HIV: A logic model approach

There are many challenges that people living with HIV (PLHIV) often face including psychological health challenges such as muscle loss, fatigue, and mental health disorders. Regular physical activity, particularly aerobic exercise, has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and mental well-being. However, there are not many clear exercise guides with evidence for practitioners and PLHIV to use as a reference while engaging in physical activities. Therefore, a structured and supervised exercise programs were designed tailored to the specific needs of PLHIV was tested and found effective. The study utilized a logic model to design, implement, and evaluate a supervised aerobic exercise program aimed at improving clinical outcomes among PLHIV. The logic model served as a framework to align inputs, activities, and expected outcomes, ensuring a systematic and evidence-based approach. A detailed exercise protocol for 6 days a week was designed for clients to engage in at least 3 days with not less than 2 days of rest in a week. A total of 135 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned 67 to experimental and 67 control group. The experimental group engaged in a five-phase aerobic exercise regimen, including warm-up, endurance training, cool-down, recovery, and flexibility exercises, performed three times per week with music set at 120–150 BPM to guide intensity. The control group was followed-up with weekly phone calls to ensure they don’t feel left out of the study. Clinical outcomes, including immunological markers (CD4 cell count), functional work capacity, and psychological well-being, were assessed before and after the intervention. Results indicated significant improvements with a p-value of < 0.01 in: aerobic capacity, muscle strength, mental health, and immune function among participants in the exercise group compared to controls. These findings suggest that this aerobic exercise protocol is a safe and effective complementary intervention for improving the quality of health in PLHIV. Incorporating supervised exercise programs using this protocol into routine HIV care could enhance long-term health outcomes and overall well-being in this population. This exercise protocol is therefore recommended for use in people living with HIV.