Exercise Snacking and Cardiometabolic Health

Part of paid clinical trials in River Falls, Wisconsin.

Sponsor
University of Wisconsin, River Falls
Study ID
NCT07718113
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Cardiometabolic Health
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Sedentary Behavior

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 60 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Exercise Snacking — BEHAVIORAL
    Participants assigned to the intervention group will complete multiple brief bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity throughout each day for 12 weeks. Each exercise snack will typically last approximately 1-3 minutes and may include activities such as stair climbing, brisk walking, repeated sit-to-stands, body-weight squats, or other moderate-to-vigorous activities that can be incorporated into daily routines. Participants will receive standardized written instructions, examples of exercise snacks, and periodic follow-up visits to monitor adherence and reinforce study procedures.

Study Details

Regular physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits, yet many young adults do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Exercise snacking, which involves performing brief bouts of physical activity throughout the day, may provide a practical alternative to traditional exercise programs by making physical activity easier to incorporate into daily routines. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether a 12-week exercise snacking intervention improves physical activity levels, aerobic fitness, cardiometabolic health, and psychological well-being in insufficiently active young adults. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an exercise snacking intervention or a usual behavior control group. Assessments will be completed at baseline, after the 12-week intervention, and after an additional 12-week follow-up period to determine whether any changes are maintained after the intervention ends. The study will measure physical activity using wearable activity monitors and assess aerobic fitness, body composition, blood pressure, blood lipids, glucose, exercise motivation, affective responses to exercise, and mental well-being. The findings will help determine whether exercise snacking is an effective and sustainable strategy for improving health in young adults and may inform future physical activity recommendations and interventions

Key Dates

First listed
Jul 21, 2026
Start date
Aug 1, 2026
Status verified
Jul 2026
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2027
Completion
Dec 31, 2027

Study Design

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

Arms

  • Experimental: Exercise Snacking
    Participants assigned to the exercise snacking group will complete a 12-week intervention consisting of multiple brief bouts (approximately 1-3 minutes each) of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity performed throughout the day. Participants will receive written instructions, examples of appropriate exercise snacks, and periodic check-ins to support adherence. The intervention is designed to increase daily physical activity by integrating short bouts of exercise into normal daily routines.
  • No Intervention: Usual Behavior Control
    Participants assigned to the control group will continue their usual daily activities for 12 weeks and will not receive instruction regarding exercise snacking or any structured physical activity program during the intervention period. They will complete the same outcome assessments as participants in the intervention group.

Primary Outcome Measure

Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity [ Time Frame: Baseline, Week 12, and Week 24 ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver FallsWisconsin54022
Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD
[email protected]
715-425-4945
Ricky Lopez, MS
[email protected]
715-425-4138
Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

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University of Wisconsin-River Falls· River Falls, WI

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