Rehab, a Long-Term Care Rehabilitation Tech Company, Completes Online and AI-Powered Frailty Prevention Demonstration Experiment in Odate City, Akita Prefecture — Approximately 80% of 113 Participants Report Satisfaction

Rehab for JAPAN Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Representative Director: Ryo Okubo, hereinafter "Rehab") has compiled the results of a demonstration experiment conducted in Odate City, Akita Prefecture. This experiment was selected for Akita Prefecture's "Out-of-Prefecture Startup Demonstration Support Project" and Odate City's "Odate City Future Technology Demonstration Support Project."

This demonstration experiment targeted seniors aged 60 and above, providing optimal exercise programs by utilizing online exercises conducted through communication with remote trainers via monitors, and a tool that analyzes participants' movement data with AI to perform physical assessments.

The results of the demonstration experiment showed that approximately 80% of the 113 participants reported satisfaction. Many responses included comments such as, "Unlike TV exercises, it's good that they guide me personally while conversing," and "It was easy to follow and understand even by looking at the screen," confirming that exercise can be done online just as effectively as in-person.

## Significance of This Initiative and Overview of the Demonstration

In Akita Prefecture, where the population is aging, the elderly population ratio is projected to reach 40.1% in 2025, the highest level nationwide, making frailty prevention an urgent issue. However, traditional in-person "long-term care prevention exercise classes" have limitations in terms of opportunities and content. Particularly in Odate City, it is difficult to strengthen and expand long-term care prevention programs due to a shortage of personnel. Furthermore, mobility restrictions such as traffic disruptions caused by heavy rain and snow, and reduced public transportation services, make it challenging for seniors to attend long-term care prevention classes themselves.

To solve these challenges, this demonstration experiment was conducted from October 2025 to January 2026, targeting seniors in Odate City (average age 85, total 113 participants). It implemented a "Hybrid Long-Term Care Prevention Classroom" combining the online rehabilitation service "Rehab Studio" and the AI motion analysis tool "Rehab Cloud Motion AI," in collaboration with Hinai Fukushikai, a social welfare corporation based in Odate City.

Two formats were implemented: "Facility-based Group Online" (7 times a month, 7 groups, total 96 participants), where participants gathered at a venue and received exercise guidance from rehabilitation professionals via monitors, and "Home-based Online" (2 times a month, 2 groups, 17 participants), where participants joined from their home tablets. Additionally, physical function measurements (single-leg stance, 5-times sit-to-stand) were performed using Motion AI at the first and last sessions to objectively grasp the effects of the initiative.

For more details, please refer to the demonstration launch press release:

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000125.000027102.html

## Scenes from the Demonstration Experiment

## Main Results of the Demonstration Experiment

### High Participant Satisfaction and Intention to Continue

In the post-demonstration survey, the total of "very satisfied" and "generally satisfied" was approximately just under 80% for the facility-based group online, and all (100%) participants in the home-based online format gave positive responses. The most common response for both facility-based and home-based groups was, "It was almost the same as in-person, and more enjoyable than I imagined," confirming that online exercise can be done just as effectively as in-person.

Regarding the intention to continue, approximately just under 90% of the facility-based group expressed an intention to continue ("definitely want to continue" or "would rather continue"), and approximately 70% of the home-based group also showed an intention to continue. Many participants commented, "It was fun with laughter, and I want to do it again," "I can't continue alone, but I can continue if I can participate from home," and "I feel the effects, so I want to continue."

### Visualization of Physical Function Improvement and Results with Motion AI

AI physical function measurements conducted before and after the classes showed improvements in all aspects: 5-times sit-to-stand score/time, single-leg stance time, and balance assessment (FRS). Many participants also commented, "It became an opportunity to objectively understand my body's condition," and "I became more conscious of my posture than usual." Approximately 30% of all participants responded that they "increased opportunities to move their bodies in daily life," confirming a change in behavior.

## Issues That Can Be Solved by Introduction

Against the challenges faced by traditional in-person classes, such as "participant travel burden and participation hurdles," "shortage of instructors," and "difficulty in grasping project outcomes," the Hybrid Long-Term Care Prevention Classroom offers the following effects:

* **Expansion of Participants:** By enabling participation from home, it reaches seniors with mobility difficulties and residents who have surrendered their driver's licenses.
* **Improvement in Frequency of Sessions:** An online provision system allows for efficient expansion of engagement with seniors with fewer specialized staff.
* **Cost Reduction:** Reduces trainer travel costs and achieves quantitative expansion of long-term care prevention services while suppressing costs through simultaneous connection of multiple classes.
* **Quantitative Grasp of Results:** Objective evaluation of project effectiveness with pre- and post-assessments of physical function using Motion AI.

## Comment from the Mayor of Odate

Mayor of Odate, Kensuke Ishida

Odate City, with an aging rate exceeding 40%, is facing an aging population.