Effects of Exercise Snacking on Physical Fitness, Cognition, and Pain in Institutionalized Older Adults

NCT07335068 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: D1025B
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 75
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to compare the effects of two different exercise approaches on health and well-being in older adults living in residential care facilities. One approach, called "exercise snacking," consists of short and frequent bouts of physical activity spread throughout the day, while the other involves longer, structured exercise sessions performed a few times per week. Approximately 75 adults aged 65 years and older will be randomly assigned to one of the two exercise programs and will participate for 12 weeks. The study will examine whether exercise snacking is as effective as conventional exercise in improving physical fitness, cognitive function, chronic pain intensity, quality of life, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The researchers hypothesize that short, intermittent exercise sessions may provide similar or greater health benefits compared to traditional exercise programs and may represent a practical and accessible strategy to promote physical activity in older adults living in institutional settings.

Conditions

Chronic Pain; Cognition Disorders in Old Age; Physical Fitness in Older Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Physical Fitness Assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)

  The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a test of lower extremity functioning that combines scores from usual gait speed, standing balance, and chair stand tests. Scores range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating better physical functioning.

  Baseline and 3 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Anxiety and depression assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) subscale scores

  From baseline to 3 months

• Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ)

  From baseline to 3 months

• The 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12)

  From baseline to 3 months

• Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)

  From baseline to 3 months

Study Arms (2)

Exercise Snacks

EXPERIMENTAL

The Exercise Snacks intervention comprises two daily sessions of approximately ten minutes each, five days per week (total ≈ 100 minutes/week). Each ten-minute session consists largely of alternating one-minute bouts of activity and one-minute rest. The exercises followed a structured three-month progression. Intensity targeted at a 4 on Borg CR10 Scale "somewhat hard" with progression rules (increase repetitions, range of motion and exercise difficulty).

Behavioral: Exercise Snacks

Conventional Exercise

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Conventional Exercise comprises two supervised 50 minutes sessions per week (total ≈ 100 minutes/week). Organized in one-minute exercise/one-minute rest intervals equal in content to the snacks but performed in longer continuous practice. The exercises followed a structured three-month progression. Intensity targeted at a 4 on Borg CR10 Scale "somewhat hard" with progression rules (increase repetitions, range of motion and exercise difficulty).

Behavioral: Conventional Exercise

Interventions

Exercise Snacks BEHAVIORAL

Exercise snacks, defined as short bouts of gentle intermittent exercise performed twice a day

Exercise Snacks

Conventional Exercise BEHAVIORAL

Conventional exercise consists of longer continuous practice of structured physical activity.

Conventional Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥ 65 years
• Residence in Associação Casapiana de Solidariedade

You may not qualify if:

• Severe cognitive impairment (MMSE 0-10)
• Unstable medical conditions (e.g., decompensated heart failure)
• Refusal of consent
• Total inability to walk/move.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ivan Patrício: lead
• Associação Casapiana de Solidariedade: collaborator
• CIDEFES - Universidade Lusofona: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Associação Casapiana de Solidariedade

Lisbon, 1500-661, Portugal

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 4, 2026
• First Posted: January 12, 2026
• Study Start: January 5, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2026
• Study Completion: April 1, 2026
• Last Updated: March 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

PT (1)