Effects of a Multimodal Exercise Program for People With

effects of exercise in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study investigated the effects of a 12-week, multimodal exercise program in patients with AS. Subjects. A convenience sample of 30 patients with AS (18 male, 12 female), with a mean age of 34.9 years (SD6.28), participated in the study. Twenty-six subjects were classified as having stage I AS and 4 subjects were classified as having stage II AS according to the modified New York Criteria. Methods. This study was a randomized controlled trial. Subjects were assigned to either a group that received an exercise program or to a control group. The exercise program consisted of 50 minutes of multimodal exercise, including aerobic, stretching, and pulmonary exercises, 3 times a week for 3 months. Subjects in both groups received medical treatment for AS, but the exercise group received the exercise program in addition to the medical treatment. All subjects received a physical examination at baseline and at 12 weeks. The examinations were conducted under the supervision of a physician who specialized in physical medicine and rehabil-itation and included the assessment of spinal mobility using 2 methods: clinica