Technology-Enabled Exercise "Snacks" Are Feasible to Perform in a Real-World Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Sedentary lifestyles are a major public health concern.
• Brief, frequent bouts of exercise, or 'exercise snacks', are a novel approach to increase physical activity.
• Remote delivery offers a scalable solution for exercise interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and efficacy of a 12-week remotely delivered exercise snacks intervention.
• To evaluate adherence, enjoyment, and physiological outcomes in inactive adults.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with 77 inactive adults.
• Intervention group: 12 weeks of remotely delivered exercise snacks (≤1 min bouts, ≥3/day, ≥3 days/week).
• Control group: Placebo stretching exercises; both delivered via an online platform.

Main Results:

• High adherence and enjoyment were reported in both groups.
• No significant differences in peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) or cardiometabolic biomarkers between groups.
• Exercise snacks group reported higher rating of perceived exertion (RPE).

Conclusions:

• Remotely delivered exercise snacks are feasible for inactive adults.
• The current exercise snacks stimulus may require optimization to induce significant physiological improvements.
• Future research should focus on refining the intervention intensity or duration.