COMPASS 65+ - Community-based Physical Activity Snacks for Healthy Aging in Overweight and Obese Aged Adults

Sponsor
University of Coimbra
Study ID
NCT07289529
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

  • Aged 65 Years or Older
  • Obesity & Overweight

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
65 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Group-based "Snack Exercise" Training and Prescription — BEHAVIORAL
    This programme consists of supervised, group-based sessions (2-3 per week, \~45 minutes each) combining concise theoretical instruction with guided practical execution of the snack-exercise protocol. Sessions are delivered by a qualified exercise professional and focus on teaching correct technique, safety, and progression of the prescribed short exercise bouts ("exercise snacks"). At the end of each session, participants receive an individualized home-based exercise prescription, tailored to their functional capacity and progression markers. Exercise intensity during supervised and home practice is monitored using the OMNI-BORG perceived exertion scale, progressing from light to moderate intensity, in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations.
  • Brief educational counseling session — BEHAVIORAL
    A standardized brief educational counseling session delivered by trained research personnel during the baseline assessment. This session will provide foundational information on the benefits of physical activity for healthy aging and offer practical strategies for incorporating short "physical activity snacks" into daily routines. This ensures a consistent educational baseline for both study arms.

Study Details

This study will explore a new way for older adults to become more physically active. As people get older, it's common to gain weight and lose muscle strength. This combination can make it harder to do daily activities, increase the risk of falls, and impact overall quality of life. While we know that regular exercise is very beneficial, many older adults find it difficult to stick to traditional exercise programs due to lack of time, motivation, or energy. This research project, called COMPASS 65+, will test an innovative approach called "snack exercise." Instead of one long workout, "snack exercise" involves doing several short bouts of activity, a few minutes at a time, throughout the day. The main idea is that these short, frequent bouts of activity might be easier to fit into a daily routine and less tiring than longer exercise sessions. The purpose of this study is to see if a "snack exercise" program is a feasible and enjoyable way for adults aged 65 and over, who are overweight or obese, to improve their health. The study will be conducted in two main parts. First, the research team will talk with older adults to understand what helps or hinders them from being active to co-design the program. Second, volunteers will be randomly assigned to either a "snack exercise" group or a control group. Participants in the "snack exercise" group will attend sessions that combine theory and practice to learn how to perform these exercises and will receive individualized prescriptions to perform the "snacks" (short bouts) at home. The control group will receive a brief educational counselling session on physical activity. Participants' health status, body composition, and physical fitness will be assessed at baseline, after the 12 weeks intervention, and again 6 weeks post-intervention to evaluate the maintenance of any improvements. These outcomes will help determine whether short bouts of 'exercise snacking' constitute a feasible and effective strategy to promote functional capacity, metabolic health, and long-term adherence to physical activity.

Key Dates

First listed
Dec 17, 2025
Start date
Sep 30, 2026
Status verified
Dec 2025
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2026
Completion
Mar 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Active Comparator: Brief educational counselling session
    Participants will receive a brief educational counselling session (60 minutes) at the baseline assessment. This session will be a standardized brief educational counseling session delivered by trained research personnel during the baseline assessment. This session will provide foundational information on the benefits of physical activity for healthy aging and offer practical strategies for incorporating short "physical activity snacks" into daily routines. This ensures a consistent educational baseline for both study arms.
  • Active Comparator: Brief educational counselling session + Group-based "Snack Exercise" training and prescription
    Participants will receive a standardized Brief Educational Counselling Session at baseline. This group will then proceed with the Structured Community-based Physical Activity Snack Intervention (COMPASS 65+). The program will consist of group-based, theory-based and practical sessions (held 2-3 times per week, each lasting approximately 45 minutes).

Primary Outcome Measure

Recruitment Rate (Reach) [ Time Frame: From the start of recruitment until the target sample size is reached (approximately 2 months). ]

Central Contacts

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