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Exercise Snacks in Obesity

Efficacy of Exercise Snacks in Real-World Settings in Individuals Living With Obesity

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06924346
Enrollment
80
Registered
2025-04-11
Start date
2025-07-14
Completion date
2026-05-01
Last updated
2026-04-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obesity

Brief summary

To conduct a randomized control trial to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week technology-enabled exercise snacks intervention with behaviour change counselling for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and various markers of cardiometabolic health in previously inactive adults living with obesity.

Detailed description

Participants will be randomized into an Exercise Snacks or a Placebo Exercise group for 12 weeks. The former will involve bodyweight exercises performed with vigorous effort and the latter will involve low-intensity stretching and mobility exercises. Following baseline testing, individualized interventions will be delivered via a customized mobile application ("app") or web platform. Participants will be instructed to perform a minimum of 4 isolated bouts of prescribed exercises per day on at least 5 days per week. Each bout will be one minute in duration. The interventions will be individualized and consider exercise preferences and physical abilities (e.g., fitness, musculoskeletal issues), and be adaptable to multiple environments (e.g., home, work). To facilitate this, participants will have a pre-intervention meeting wherein any physical limitations will be documented, and a research assistant trained in health behaviour change techniques will provide a brief exercise counselling session designed to individualize the intervention to the participant's preferences, abilities, and lifestyle. After 12 weeks, participants will be asked to return to the lab for follow-up testing.

Interventions

The "movement breaks" will be individualized to exercise preferences and physical abilities (e.g., fitness, musculoskeletal issues) and adaptable to multiple environments (e.g., home, work) delivered via mobile phone application. Participants will be encouraged to incorporate the movement breaks into their daily schedule based on baseline exercise counselling.

The "movement breaks" will be individualized to exercise preferences and physical abilities (e.g., fitness, musculoskeletal issues) and adaptable to multiple environments (e.g., home, work) delivered via mobile phone application. Participants will be encouraged to incorporate the movement breaks into their daily schedule based on baseline exercise counselling.

Sponsors

University of British Columbia
Lead SponsorOTHER
McMaster University
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
35 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Aged 35-64 years. * Habitually engaging in \< 150 min moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week. * Body mass index 30-45 kg/m2 or 27.5-45 for participants who self-identify as being of Asian or Southeast Asian origin. * Waist circumference: \>88cm for females and \>102cm for males, or \>80 cm for females and \>90 cm for male participants who self-identify as being of Asian or Southeast Asian. * Not currently diagnosed with a cardiometabolic disease (e.g., coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). * Taking ≤2 commonly prescribed medications for the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., statins, antihypertensives). * Not a current smoker * Cleared to engage in physical activity using the Get Active Questionnaire and, if applicable, consultation with a health care provider or Qualified Exercise Professional. * Access to a computer, tablet or smartphone for intervention delivery and tracking. * Ability to read and write in English.

Exclusion criteria

* Chronic musculoskeletal condition or recent (within 2 years) cardiovascular event preventing participation in exercise. * Lack of internet access. * Angina upon exertion assessed by the Rose Angina Questionnaire. * Prescribed beta-blockers that can compromise the validity of heart rate measurements. during the exercise test. * Have a scheduled surgical procedure within the next 3-4 months that would prevent exercise participation. * Currently participating in another clinical trial that interferes with the study procedures. * Currently pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant during the intervention (i.e., within the next 4 months). * Uncontrolled high blood pressure (\>160/90 mmHg)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Determine the number of individuals living with obesity that are eligible to participate in the trialthrough study completion, an average of 18 monthsThe number of participants approached and reasons for not joining the study.
Determine the number of eligible participants who would be willing to take part in this trialthrough study completion, an average of 18 monthsThe number of participants who enroll.
Determine the number and percentage of participants retained after the 12-week interventionafter the 12-week interventionNumber and percentage of participants who drop-out and reasons.
Determine the number of one-minute exercise bouts performed during the 12-week interventionduring the 12 weeksNumber of exercise bouts performed each week of the intervention.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in cardiorespiratory fitness measured before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksCardiorespiratory fitness will be measured using an incremental exercise test on a motorized treadmill at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in lower body muscular endurance before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksThe 30-second sit-to-stand will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in upper body maximal strength before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksGrip strength test using a hand dynamometer will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in waist circumference before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksWaist circumference will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in weight before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksWeight will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in body mass index before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksBody mass index will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in fasting glucose measured before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksFasting glucose will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in fasting insulin measured before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksFasting insulin will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in systolic blood pressure measured before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksSeated systolic blood pressure will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in diastolic blood pressure measured before and after the 12-week intervention0-12 weeksSeated diastolic blood pressure will be measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention.
Change in physical activity assessed during the first and last weeks of the interventionweeks 0 and 12Physical activity measured using accelerometry during week 0 and week 12.

Countries

Canada

Contacts

CONTACTJonathan P Little, PhD
jonathan.little@ubc.ca250-807-9876

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 3, 2026