HealthyNCT05574426
Efficacy of Movement Breaks in Real-World Settings
A study testing Movement Breaks in people with Healthy, run by University of British Columbia at 2 sites in Canada.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of performing "exercise snacks" (short movement breaks throughout the day) on various measures of cardiometabolic health. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 40 to 64 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy
- What is being tested?
- Movement Breaks
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 77 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesCanada
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2022to 5 Dec 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 40 to 64 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Physically inactive (performing <150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week, assessed by pre-screening Get Active Questionnaire);
- Body Mass Index: 18.5-30.0 kg/m2;
- Not currently diagnosed with or being treated for cardiometabolic disease (e.g., coronary artery disease, diabetes);
- Not a current smoker;
- Cleared to engage in physical activity using the Get Active Questionnaire and, if applicable, consultation with a Qualified Exercise Professional;
- Access to a computer, tablet or smartphone for intervention delivery and tracking
Who cannot join
- Chronic health condition preventing participation in exercise;
- Lack of access to internet connection
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
Canada2 sites
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario
University of British Columbia
Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7
About this study
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of performing "exercise snacks" (short movement breaks throughout the day) on various measures of cardiometabolic health.
Read the detailed description
After being informed about the study and potential risks, all eligible participants who have provided consent will undergo a baseline visit to assess pre-intervention basic anthropometrics, cardiorespiratory fitness, and provide a blood sample. Participants will then be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one of two groups: 1) Mobility movement breaks (stretching or range of motion exercises); or 2) Cardiovascular movement breaks (designed to raise heart rate). Both groups will be encouraged to perform 3-4 daily movement breaks on at least 3 days of the week with support from an online platform and app that provides video instructions and reminders to complete the movement breaks. After 12 weeks, participants will be asked to return to the lab for the same testing performed at baseline.
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Being tested
- Movement Breaks
- Keywords
- Exercise Snack, Movement Break, Sedentary Time, Lifestyle Exercise, Physical Activity Breaks, VILPA
- Medical subject headings
- Sedentary Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Movement BreaksBehavioural
Also called Activity Snacks
Participants will be asked to perform 30-60 second movement breaks 3-4 times per day on at least 3 days per week.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Movement Breaks | Experimental | Participants will perform 3-4 exercise snacks (30-60s bursts of exercise) on at least 3 days of the week. The exercises prescribed in this arm will be designed to increase heart rate. Receives: Behavioral: Movement Breaks |
| Mobility Movement Breaks | Active comparator | Participants will perform 3-4 mobility snacks (30-60s of mobility exercises or stretching) on at least 3 days of the week. The exercises prescribed in this arm are not designed to increase heart rate. Receives: Behavioral: Movement Breaks |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change From Baseline in Cardiorespiratory Fitness at 12 Weeks
Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed as the highest 30-s average from a laboratory-based graded VO2peak test on a cycle ergometer.
Measured: Baseline and Week 12
Secondary outcomes (10)
Change From Baseline in Plasma Insulin
A fasted venous blood sample will be obtained and insulin measured by commercial assay.
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Plasma Glucose
A fasted venous blood sample will be obtained and glucose measured by biochemical assay.
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Insulin Resistance
A fasted venous blood sample will be obtained and insulin resistance estimated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) score
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Inflammatory Cytokines
A fasted venous blood sample will be obtained and inflammatory cytokines measured by multiplex assay
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Body Mass
Body mass will be measured by weigh scale
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Waist Circumference
Waist circumference (in centimetres) will be measured using a measurement tape.
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Device-Measured Adherence to Movement Breaks
Participants will wear accelerometers to assess adherence near the beginning and the end of the intervention.
Measured: Week 2 and week 11
Self-Reported Adherence to Movement Breaks
Participants will be sent weekly surveys asking them to recall the total number of movement breaks performed that week.
Measured: Once per week for 12 weeks
Movement Break Enjoyment Assessed by the Exercise Enjoyment Scale (EES)
The EES is a validated, single-item 7-point scale to assess exercise enjoyment. Possible scores range from 1 (not at all) to 7 (extremely).
Measured: Immediately following each movement break for entire 12-week intervention
Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Following Movement Breaks
A 10 point RPE scale will be used to assess perceived exertion ranging from 0 (rest) to 10 (maximal).
Measured: Immediately following each movement break for entire 12-week intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Oct 2022
- Study start1 Oct 2022
- Primary completion5 Dec 2023
- Study completion5 Dec 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for HealthyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of British ColumbiaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be randomized (1:1 allocation ratio) into Mobility or Cardiovascular movement break groups for 12-weeks. Both groups will perform 3-4 movement breaks on at least 3 days of the week.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 77 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of British Columbia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), McMaster University
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jonathan Little, University of British Columbia
- Investigators
- Jonathan Little, Principal investigator, University of British Columbia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05574426
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H21-03417
- Other IDs
- 707246, POC-181042
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Oct 2022
- Last updated
- 21 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Babir FJ, Islam H, McCreary S, Vaz E, Falkenhain K, Cranston K, Jung M, Singer J, Sandilands R, Marcotte-Chenard A, Stamatakis E, Richards DL, Gibala MJ, Little JP. Technology-Enabled Exercise "Snacks" Are Feasible to Perform in a Real-World Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2025 Aug;35(8):e70117. doi: 10.1111/sms.70117.
PubMed 40772837
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Efficacy of Movement Breaks in Real-World Settings
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05574426
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- H21-03417
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Keywords
- Exercise Snack, Movement Break, Sedentary Time, Lifestyle Exercise, Physical Activity Breaks, VILPA
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 77 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of British ColumbiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), McMaster University
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 5 Dec 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Oct 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 21 Mar 2025
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of performing "exercise snacks" (short movement breaks throughout the day) on various measures of cardiometabolic health.
Detailed description
After being informed about the study and potential risks, all eligible participants who have provided consent will undergo a baseline visit to assess pre-intervention basic anthropometrics, cardiorespiratory fitness, and provide a blood sample. Participants will then be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one of two groups: 1) Mobility movement breaks (stretching or range of motion exercises); or 2) Cardiovascular movement breaks (designed to raise heart rate). Both groups will be encouraged to perform 3-4 daily movement breaks on at least 3 days of the week with support from an online platform and app that provides video instructions and reminders to complete the movement breaks. After 12 weeks, participants will be asked to return to the lab for the same testing performed at baseline.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants will be randomized (1:1 allocation ratio) into Mobility or Cardiovascular movement break groups for 12-weeks. Both groups will perform 3-4 movement breaks on at least 3 days of the week.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Movement Breaks | Experimental | Behavioral: Movement BreaksParticipants will perform 3-4 exercise snacks (30-60s bursts of exercise) on at least 3 days of the week. The exercises prescribed in this arm will be designed to increase heart rate. |
| Mobility Movement Breaks | Active comparator | Behavioral: Movement BreaksParticipants will perform 3-4 mobility snacks (30-60s of mobility exercises or stretching) on at least 3 days of the week. The exercises prescribed in this arm are not designed to increase heart rate. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 40 to 64 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Physically inactive (performing <150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week, assessed by pre-screening Get Active Questionnaire);
- Body Mass Index: 18.5-30.0 kg/m2;
- Not currently diagnosed with or being treated for cardiometabolic disease (e.g., coronary artery disease, diabetes);
- Not a current smoker;
- Cleared to engage in physical activity using the Get Active Questionnaire and, if applicable, consultation with a Qualified Exercise Professional;
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Chronic health condition preventing participation in exercise;
- Lack of access to internet connection
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Movement BreaksAlso: Activity SnacksParticipants will be asked to perform 30-60 second movement breaks 3-4 times per day on at least 3 days per week. | Behavioural | Cardiovascular Movement Breaks, Mobility Movement Breaks |
Primary outcome
Change From Baseline in Cardiorespiratory Fitness at 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed as the highest 30-s average from a laboratory-based graded VO2peak test on a cycle ergometer.
10 secondary outcomes
Change From Baseline in Plasma Insulin
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Plasma Glucose
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Insulin Resistance
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Inflammatory Cytokines
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Body Mass
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change From Baseline in Waist Circumference
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Device-Measured Adherence to Movement Breaks
Time frame: Week 2 and week 11
Self-Reported Adherence to Movement Breaks
Time frame: Once per week for 12 weeks
Movement Break Enjoyment Assessed by the Exercise Enjoyment Scale (EES)
Time frame: Immediately following each movement break for entire 12-week intervention
Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Following Movement Breaks
Time frame: Immediately following each movement break for entire 12-week intervention
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Mar 2025.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40772837Babir FJ, Islam H, McCreary S, Vaz E, Falkenhain K, Cranston K, Jung M, Singer J, Sandilands R, Marcotte-Chenard A, Stamatakis E, Richards DL, Gibala MJ, Little JP. Technology-Enabled Exercise "Snacks" Are Feasible to Perform in a Real-World Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2025 Aug;35(8):e70117. doi: 10.1111/sms.70117.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jonathan Little principal investigator
University of British Columbia
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Movement Breaks in people with Healthy, run by University of British Columbia at 2 sites in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 21 Mar 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change From Baseline in Cardiorespiratory Fitness at 12 Weeks (time frame: Baseline and Week 12). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05574426, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Mar 2025.