MOV'D + Fitbit Monitoring for Sedentary Lifestyle

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

Disqualifiers: Unsafe to exercise

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 4 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to help people who sit too much at work become more active. Participants will either track their activity with a Fitbit or join a group that uses a Fitbit and receives support through social media for short exercise breaks. The researchers aim to determine if these methods, including the MOV'D (Move Often eVery Day) program, can increase active hours and reduce sitting time. This trial suits individuals with a smartphone, who work a desk job most of the time, and can safely exercise. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to explore new ways to improve health and activity levels.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the MOV'D intervention is safe?

Research has shown that using a Fitbit to track physical activity, as in the MOV'D program, is generally safe. The MOV'D program includes short exercise breaks and social media support to encourage less sitting and more movement. Participants in similar programs have reported positive experiences without major safety issues. Although specific safety data for MOV'D is not available, fitness trackers and short exercise routines are usually well-tolerated. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the MOV'D protocol for tackling sedentary lifestyles because it combines technology and social support in a unique way. Unlike traditional approaches that might rely solely on self-monitoring or professional intervention, MOV'D pairs participants with a Fitbit for activity tracking and integrates a peer coaching system via a private Twitter group. This combination encourages consistent engagement and motivation through social interaction and shared goals, which could lead to more sustainable behavior changes compared to existing methods.

What evidence suggests that the MOV'D intervention and Fitbit self-monitoring could be effective for reducing sedentary lifestyle?

Research shows that taking short breaks to move around can boost activity levels without affecting work. Studies have found that just 2 minutes of moving large muscles can help reduce the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Walking, in particular, effectively improves health in those who sit a lot. In this trial, participants in the MOV'D plus Fitbit Self-Monitoring arm will use social media to share short exercise videos and tips, encouraging healthy breaks at work. Early results suggest that this approach can lead to positive changes in activity levels. Meanwhile, participants in the Fitbit-Only Self-Monitoring arm will track their physical activity using a Fitbit. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Marily A. Oppezzo, PhD MS, RDN, DipACLM

Principal Investigator

Stanford University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for full-time employees who spend over half their work time sitting, can safely exercise (as determined by the PAR-Q), read English, and have a smartphone with internet. It's not suitable for those who don't meet these criteria.

Inclusion Criteria

English literacy

Safe to exercise, assessed by the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q)

Have smartphone with internet capabilities

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants are randomly assigned to either the MOV'D intervention or a Fitbit-only control for one month

4 weeks

Remote participation

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in MVPA minutes and active workday hours

4 weeks

Remote monitoring

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Fitbit Self-Monitoring
• MOV'D (Move Often eVery Day)

Trial Overview The MOV'D program aims to reduce long sitting periods at work using 'exercise snacks'—short bursts of activity—and behavior change techniques shared via social media support groups. Participants will also self-monitor with Fitbit devices.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: MOV'D plus Fitbit Self-Monitoring Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Treatment participants will be sent a Fitbit and study-provided account, and assigned to a private, study-created Twitter support group of 10 participants. Within the private group of 10, each participant is also further paired with a peer to be that person's peer coach, setting weekly exercise snack goals and practicing behavior change techniques.

Group II: Fitbit-Only Self-Monitoring Active Control 1 Intervention

Control participants will be sent a Fitbit and study-provided account and will self-monitor physical activity for the duration of the study period (2 months).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Collaborator

Trials

3,987

Recruited

47,860,000+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Cancer survivors using wearable activity trackers, like Fitbits, have shown an increase in physical activity, which is important for reducing negative effects from cancer treatments and improving overall health outcomes.

The review identified 13 relevant studies, including 8 randomized controlled trials, indicating a need for further research to better understand how these devices can effectively promote physical activity and weight management in cancer survivors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Use of consumer wearable devices to promote physical activity among breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors: a review of health intervention studies. Coughlin, SS., Caplan, LS., Stone, R.[2020]

A systematic review of 14 studies found a weak-to-moderate positive association between physical activity measured by wearable activity monitors (WAMs) and performance status (PS) in cancer patients, indicating that more activity may correlate with better performance.

Conversely, there was a weak-to-moderate negative association between sedentary behavior (SB) metrics from WAMs and PS, suggesting that less sedentary time could be linked to improved performance, but WAM data should not replace physician assessments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The association between wearable activity monitor metrics and performance status in oncology: a systematic review. Kos, M., Pijnappel, EN., Buffart, LM., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12371288/

Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial - PMC Specifically in worksite interventions, breaks involving movement were shown to successfully increase overall levels of physical activity, maintain productivity ...

2. researchprotocols.org researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e64455

A Work-Based, Fully Remote, and Peer-Supported ... The negative effects of prolonged sitting can be ameliorated with as little as 2 minutes of large muscle movement. Further, cardiovascular ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-physical-inactivity-4-2022-28561

MOV'D + Fitbit Monitoring for Sedentary Lifestyle This trial tests the MOV'D program, which sends short exercise videos and tips via social media to help people take breaks from sitting at work.

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10037417/

Movement Behavior and Health Outcomes among ... Walking was identified as the most effective method to improve MSD and cardiometabolic outcomes among sedentary workers [46,47,48] since walking changes the ...

5. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/382444065_Protocol_for_the_Move_Often_eVery_Day_MOV'D_Pilot_A_Multi-Component_Fully-Remote_Peer-Supported_Exercise_Snack_Behavior_Change_Intervention_Preprint

Protocol for the Move Often eVery Day (MOV'D) Pilot BACKGROUND Prolonged sitting and lack of moderate to vigorous physical activity represent two independent risk factors for myriad poor health outcomes.

6. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05360485

Peer Motivation Coaches, Social Media-based Support ... The MOV'D intervention is a remotely-delivered, peer-supported intervention that delivers exercise snack (2-5 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity) and ...

7. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9499130

Poor Sleep, Sedentary Behavior, and Secondary ... Move Often eVery Day (MOV'D): An occupationally-tailored, remotely-delivered, socially-supported short exercise break intervention to decrease sedentary ...

8. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08901171251338217

Findings From a Pilot Study This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 20 office workers who completed a pilot exercise snack intervention called Move Often eVeryDay ...

9. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/348451007_The_physiological_benefits_of_sitting_less_and_moving_more_Opportunities_for_future_research

The physiological benefits of sitting less and moving more A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to negative health effects, particularly cardiovascular and metabolic health, and may increase mortality risk to a similar ...