Barriers and facilitators reported by older adults and Physical Education professionals participating in a home-based physical exercise program with different remote supervision strategies: a qualitative analysis of a randomized controlled trial

• Video call supervision enhances social interaction and increases perceived safety in home-based exercise. • Older adults, regardless of supervision type, perceive technological difficulties and scheduling conflicts as barriers. • Minimal supervision via text messaging generates insecurity during exercise execution. • Facilitators: physical and mental well-being, family support, and professional supervision. • Home-based exercises expand geographic reach and accessibility to interventions. This study examined barriers and facilitators reported by older adults and Physical Education professionals in a home-based exercise program with two types of supervision: video calls and text messages. A qualitative case study was conducted with 12 older adults and three professionals from a randomized controlled trial in Brazil. Interviews, which lasted between 12 and 35 min, were guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Both groups identified well-being and supervision as facilitators. Barriers included scheduling conflicts and mobile device difficulties. Text message supervision led to insecurity in exercise performance, while video call supervision faced barriers like poor internet. Professionals noted older adults’ technological unfamiliarity. Video call supervision facilitated social interaction, while text messages offered reduced time commitment and better accessibility. The study concluded that video call supervision supports social interaction, while text message supervision may cause insecurity due to lack of real-time guidance.