Strategies to Enhance the Experience of Exercise

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study aims to test the effect of three cognitive strategies to affect individuals' subjective experience of cardiovascular exercise. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three strategies to use while exercising, both during an in-person session and self-directed two week exercise period.

Official Title
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Strategies to Enhance the Experience of Exercise

Conditions
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Physical Activity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Mindfulness
* Behavioral: Distraction
* Behavioral: Self-monitoring


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Between the ages of 18 and 40. Insufficiently physically active for the past 6-months (i.e., does not meet American College of Sports Medicine [ACSM] guideline for cardiorespiratory exercise). The ACSM guidelines state that all healthy adults should engage in a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity cardiorespiratory exercise, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination of the two). On the eligibility screen assessment, we will define moderate and vigorous intensity exercise. Then we will ask individuals to report how many minutes of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise they engage in per week. We will use the ACSM's rule of thumb that 1 minute of moderate intensity exercise is equivalent to 2 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise. This will help to ensure that prospective participants who exercise for less than 150 minutes per week are not actually meeting the ACSM guidelines for cardiorespiratory fitness by engaging in vigorous intensity exercise. Thus, if total minutes of moderate intensity exercise and total minutes of vigorous intensity exercise (multiplied by 2) per week is equal to or greater than 150, callers will not be eligible for study inclusion. Physically capable of safely engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) Able and willing to access the Internet daily for two weeks Willing to accept random assignment. Have a smartphone or other mobile device (e.g., iPod Touch) that can play media (important if participants are assigned to the distraction condition) Willing to engage in an exercise intervention specifically involving walking, jogging, running, or hiking (not other types of exercise) Exclusion Criteria: Are diabetic or receiving treatment for a metabolic disorder Are currently pregnant Are currently on antipsychotic medications Have a history of cardiac or respiratory disease Are receiving treatment for a heart condition or high blood pressure Experience chest pains during and/or not during physical activity Have a muscle, bone, or joint problem or injury that limit movement, make exercise painful, or could be made worse by exercising Have a close family history of an adverse cardiac event before the age of 50.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 40 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Mindfulness<br>Participants will use the strategy of mindfulness, i.e., present moment awareness with nonjudgment and acceptance, while exercising. | Behavioral: Mindfulness<br>* Participants will use mindfulness techniques while exercising<br>|
| Experimental: Distraction<br>Participants will use the strategy of distraction, i.e., directing their attention to something other than exercise (specifically a podcast) while exercising. | Behavioral: Distraction<br>* Participants will distract themselves while exercising<br>|
| Active Comparator: Self-Monitoring<br>Participants will monitor their internal experience while exercising, without distraction and without being taught mindfulness skills of nonjudgment and acceptance. | Behavioral: Self-monitoring<br>* Participants will use associative attentional focus while exercising<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affective valence | Affective valence during a 30-minute exercise bout | 30 minutes | 
| Felt arousal | Felt arousal during a 30-minute exercise bout | 30 minutes | 
| Perceived Exertion (RPE) | Rating of Perceived Exertion during a 30-minute exercise bout | 30 minutes | 
| Minutes of exercise | Minutes exercised during 2-week at-home intervention | 2-weeks following initial visit | 
| Affect and perceived exertion: longitudinal | Rated affect and perceived exertion during 2-week at-home intervention | 2-weeks following initial visit | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Theory of Planned Behavior: attitudes | attitudes about exercise behavior | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | 
| Theory of Planned Behavior: norms | subjective norms regarding exercise behavior | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | 
| Theory of Planned Behavior: self-efficacy | self-efficacy for exercise | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | 
| Theory of Planned Behavior Constructs | intentions to engage in future exercise behavior | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | 
| Distress tolerance | Rated ability to tolerate distress | Baseline to 2-week follow-up | 
| Defusion skills | rated ability to defuse | Baseline to 2-week follow-up |