Feelings About Exercise

Lifespan

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Activity; Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Affect and physical activity; Behavioral: Physical activity information

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03598647

1179772

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study seeks to investigate why some individuals exercise more than others by focusing on feelings related to exercise. This two part study first examines whether regular exercisers (n=30) and non-exercisers (n=30) differ in how a 30-minute moderate-intensity exercise bout makes them feel. All participants will walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes on two separate occasions and will be asked to report on how they feel before, during, and after exercise, how they anticipate that exercise will make them feel, and how they remembered feeling during exercise. In addition, after exercise session #2, non-exercisers will be randomized to: 1) a brief intervention focused on providing general information about the physical activity guidelines, or 2) a brief intervention which provides general information about physical activity guidelines, but also focuses on affective responses to physical activity. Non-exercisers will complete an identical, third exercise session approximately 1-week following this intervention. Further, all participants will receive a 12-week, Internet-delivered weight loss program following all exercise visits and physical activity will be assessed before and after the weight loss program.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18-60 years
• BMI between 25.0 and <40.0 kg/m2
• Either a 'Non-exerciser', defined as reporting exercising at a moderate-intensity for <30 min/week over the past 6 months and a most recent typical week or an 'exerciser', defined as exercising for ≥150 min/week over the past 6 months and a most recent typical week.

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of any condition that would limit one's ability to exercise (e.g., orthopedic limitations)
• History of coronary artery disease (i.e., myocardial infarction or symptoms of angina), stroke, diabetes, or pulmonary disease (e.g., COPD or emphysema).
• Currently taking any medication that would alter heart rate (e.g., beta blocker)
• Women who are pregnant or nursing
• Uncontrolled hypertension (resting blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg)
• Exercising >30 min/week but <150 min/week (i.e., neither 'non-exerciser' nor 'exerciser')
• Use of medications for weight loss, or current participation in another weight loss program
• Bariatric surgery

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 4 patient groups

Physical activity information - for non-exercisers only

Active Comparator group

Description:

Non-exercisers randomized to this condition will receive basic information about physical activity. This includes the national physical activity guidelines,clarification of 'moderate-intensity', exercise safety, and the progression of physical activity within the weight loss program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Physical activity information

Affect and physical activity - for non-exercisers only

Experimental group

Description:

Non-exercisers randomized to this condition will receive the same basic information about physical activity as described above, but they will also receive a brief intervention focused on affective responses to exercise.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Affect and physical activity

Exercisers

No Intervention group

Description:

Engaging in \>=150 min/week of moderate-intensity exercise over the past 6 months and a most recent typical week

Non-exercisers

No Intervention group

Description:

Engaging in \<30 min/week of moderate-intensity exercise over the past 6 months and a most recent typical week