Physical Activity
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to test the effect of three cognitive strategies to affect individuals' subjective experience of cardiovascular exercise. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three strategies to use while exercising, both during an in-person session and self-directed two week exercise period.
Interventions
Participants will use mindfulness techniques while exercising
Participants will distract themselves while exercising
Participants will use associative attentional focus while exercising
Sponsors
Study design
Masking description
Participants will know their own condition (strategy) but not what the other conditions are. The primary investigator will be blind to participants' assignment to condition.
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
1. Between the ages of 18 and 40. 2. Insufficiently physically active for the past 6-months (i.e., does not meet American College of Sports Medicine \[ACSM\] guideline for cardiorespiratory exercise). The ACSM guidelines state that all healthy adults should engage in a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity cardiorespiratory exercise, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination of the two). On the eligibility screen assessment, we will define moderate and vigorous intensity exercise. Then we will ask individuals to report how many minutes of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise they engage in per week. We will use the ACSM's rule of thumb that 1 minute of moderate intensity exercise is equivalent to 2 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise. This will help to ensure that prospective participants who exercise for less than 150 minutes per week are not actually meeting the ACSM guidelines for cardiorespiratory fitness by engaging in vigorous intensity exercise. Thus, if total minutes of moderate intensity exercise and total minutes of vigorous intensity exercise (multiplied by 2) per week is equal to or greater than 150, callers will not be eligible for study inclusion. 3. Physically capable of safely engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) 4. Able and willing to access the Internet daily for two weeks 5. Willing to accept random assignment. 6. Have a smartphone or other mobile device (e.g., iPod Touch) that can play media (important if participants are assigned to the distraction condition) 7. Willing to engage in an exercise intervention specifically involving walking, jogging, running, or hiking (not other types of exercise)
Exclusion criteria
1. Are diabetic or receiving treatment for a metabolic disorder 2. Are currently pregnant 3. Are currently on antipsychotic medications 4. Have a history of cardiac or respiratory disease 5. Are receiving treatment for a heart condition or high blood pressure 6. Experience chest pains during and/or not during physical activity 7. Have a muscle, bone, or joint problem or injury that limit movement, make exercise painful, or could be made worse by exercising 8. Have a close family history of an adverse cardiac event before the age of 50.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Affective valence | 30 minutes | Affective valence during a 30-minute exercise bout |
| Felt arousal | 30 minutes | Felt arousal during a 30-minute exercise bout |
| Perceived Exertion (RPE) | 30 minutes | Rating of Perceived Exertion during a 30-minute exercise bout |
| Minutes of exercise | 2-weeks following initial visit | Minutes exercised during 2-week at-home intervention |
| Affect and perceived exertion: longitudinal | 2-weeks following initial visit | Rated affect and perceived exertion during 2-week at-home intervention |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Theory of Planned Behavior: attitudes | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | attitudes about exercise behavior |
| Defusion skills | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | rated ability to defuse |
| Theory of Planned Behavior: norms | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | subjective norms regarding exercise behavior |
| Theory of Planned Behavior: self-efficacy | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | self-efficacy for exercise |
| Theory of Planned Behavior Constructs | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | intentions to engage in future exercise behavior |
| Distress tolerance | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | Rated ability to tolerate distress |
Countries
United States