Exercise Snacks for Obesity

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Jonathan P Little, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of British Columbia

Must not be taking: Beta-blockers

Disqualifiers: Chronic musculoskeletal, Recent cardiovascular, Pregnancy, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 12 weeks

80 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if short bursts of exercise, known as "Exercise Snacks," can improve heart health and overall fitness in adults living with obesity. Participants will perform either intense bodyweight exercises or simple stretching exercises several times a day over 12 weeks. This trial suits individuals who do not exercise frequently and have a higher body weight but do not have heart or metabolic diseases. As an unphased study, this trial provides a unique opportunity to explore innovative exercise routines that could enhance health and fitness.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, you can only be taking up to two commonly prescribed medications for preventing heart and metabolic diseases to participate.

What prior data suggests that this exercise intervention is safe for individuals with obesity?

Research has shown that "exercise snacks," short bursts of intense activity, can improve heart and lung health. Studies indicate that these quick exercises are manageable and can enhance heart and metabolic health, particularly in less active individuals. No specific reports of negative effects from these exercise snacks have emerged, suggesting they are generally safe for adults with obesity when performed correctly. It is important to consult a healthcare provider before starting any new exercise routine. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the "Exercise Snacks" approach for tackling obesity because it breaks away from traditional long-duration workouts, offering short bursts of vigorous exercise that can be more easily integrated into daily life. This method aims to boost metabolism and burn calories more effectively by spreading exercise throughout the day. Unlike standard obesity treatments that often involve medication or lengthy gym sessions, "Exercise Snacks" provide a more practical and potentially more sustainable way for individuals to improve their health with minimal disruption to their routine.

What evidence suggests that exercise snacks could be an effective treatment for obesity?

Studies have shown that short bursts of vigorous exercise, known as exercise snacks, can greatly improve heart and metabolic health. These quick exercises increase the body's ability to use oxygen, reduce body fat, and decrease waist size. They also lower blood pressure, the force of blood against artery walls. Research indicates that exercise snacks help manage sugar and fat after meals, maintain blood pressure, and support healthy blood vessels. This trial will compare the effects of vigorous-intensity exercise snacks with a placebo exercise group performing low-intensity stretching. These findings suggest that exercise snacks offer an effective and time-efficient way to improve overall health, especially for people with obesity. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults aged 35-64 with obesity, defined as a BMI of 30-45 (or slightly lower for certain ethnicities), who do less than 150 minutes of exercise per week. Participants should have a large waist circumference and take no more than two medications for preventing heart-related diseases. Non-smokers who can safely exercise, use technology, and understand English are eligible.

Inclusion Criteria

Habitually engaging in < 150 min moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week

Body mass index 30-45 kg/m2 or 27.5-45 for participants who self-identify as being of Asian or Southeast Asian origin

Not a current smoker

Exclusion Criteria

Currently pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant during the intervention (i.e., within the next 4 months)

Lack of internet access

Angina upon exertion assessed by the Rose Angina Questionnaire

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pre-intervention

Participants have a pre-intervention meeting to document physical limitations and receive exercise counselling

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Participants engage in a 12-week exercise intervention with either vigorous bodyweight exercises or low-intensity stretching

12 weeks

Remote monitoring via app or web platform

Follow-up

Participants return to the lab for follow-up testing to assess changes in various health markers

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Exercise Snacks

Trial Overview The study tests 'exercise snacks,' which are short bursts of physical activity, against placebo exercises over 12 weeks to see if they improve fitness and health markers in inactive obese adults. The intervention includes behavior change counseling supported by technology.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Exercise Snacks Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Vigorous-intensity bodyweight exercises performed 4 times per day on at least 5 days per week.

Group II: Placebo Exercise Active Control 1 Intervention

Low-intensity stretching exercises performed 4 times per day on at least 5 days per week.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of British Columbia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,506

Recruited

2,528,000+

McMaster University

Collaborator

Trials

936

Recruited

2,630,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12380701/

The effectiveness of exercise snacks as a time-efficient ... By assessing 27 trials encompassing 11 distinct CMH outcomes, we found that ES significantly improved nine cardiometabolic indicators VO2max, BF%, WC, SBP, DBP, ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666337624000283

Review Exercise snacks and physical fitness in sedentary ... This article aims to review the main findings of these studies, emphasizing that exercise snacks are a time-efficient, effective, and safe form of exercise that ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11920532/

Application of Exercise Snacks across Youth, Adult and ... We aimed to map global research on 'exercise snacks', across youth, adult and clinical populations through a scoping review.

4. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1643153/pdf

The effectiveness of exercise snacks as ... Most studies included apparently healthy adults (14 studies) and overweight and/or obese adults (11 studies) (11, 12, 30–37,. 39–47, 49–54), 2 ...

5. sciety.org sciety.org/articles/activity/10.20944/preprints202510.2184.v1?utm_source=sciety_labs_article_page

Exercise Snacks as a Strategy to Interrupt Sedentary Behavior Exercise snacks consistently improved postprandial glucose, insu-lin, and triglyceride responses, reduced blood pressure, preserved endothelial ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12354995/

Effects of Exercise Snacks on Cardiometabolic Health and ... ExSn significantly enhances cardiometabolic health, especially in physically inactive adults. As a novel, time‐efficient approach, ExSn can be ...

7. medicalnewstoday.com medicalnewstoday.com/articles/exercise-snacks-boost-heart-and-lung-health

Daily 'exercise snacks' linked to better heart and lung function Short bursts of exercise of around 5 minutes twice a day could help improve heart and lung function, new research suggests.

8. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06626295?term=AREA%5BConditionSearch%5D(%22Sedentary%20Lifestyle%22)%20AND%20AREA%5BOverallStatus%5D(NOT_YET_RECRUITING%20OR%20RECRUITING%20OR%20AVAILABLE)&rank=3

Exercise-snacks for Breaking the Sedentary Lifestyle and ... The objective of this project is to compare the effects of a traditional multidimensional care program with the addition of 'exercise-snacks' to the same care ...

9. sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-025-00829-6

Application of Exercise Snacks across Youth, Adult and ... We aimed to map global research on 'exercise snacks', across youth, adult and clinical populations through a scoping review.