Home-Based Exercise Gaming for Physically Inactive Individuals

NCT ID: NCT04633590

Last Updated: 2023-03-14

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

27 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-03-23

Study Completion Date

2023-01-23

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Current guidelines recommend that adults undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. However, many adults fail to be physically active according to this definition of the World Health Organisation (WHO). This represents a large economic burden to healthcare systems and public health. A number of behavioural and environmental factors associated with modern lifestyles are largely responsible for the high levels of physical inactivity including; motorised transport and sedentary jobs, lack of time, limited access to adequate exercise facilities, lack of motivation, financial constraints and environmental factors including bad weather. In an attempt to overcome many of the common barriers to exercise, members of our research group developed a virtually-monitored exercise intervention that used simple on-the-spot bodyweight exercises to be performed in the participant's home without supervision or equipment. This home-based intervention was designed to be a practical and effective training strategy capable of producing metabolic and functional adaptions while removing many of the common barriers to exercise. Despite promising results, more engaging exercise strategies are needed to motivate sedentary individuals to increase their physical activity.

Inspired by current trends in the fitness market, Sphery Ltd. developed an immersive and motivating fitness exercise game (exergame), the "ExerCube". The ExerCube allows a full-body workout that concurrently challenges physical and cognitive functions and adapts to the fitness and skill level of the individual. The development of a home-based version of the ExerCube has the potential to make this system available to more individuals, reduce major barriers to exercise, and ultimately provide a strategy to improve cardio-metabolic health in the population. Innovative home-based exergames are particularly in demand given the increase in the number of people wanting to exercise at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Current guidelines recommend that adults undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. Regular physical activity improves many cardiovascular and metabolic health makers including beneficial effects on body weight, insulin sensitivity, glycaemic control, lipid profile, endothelial function and aerobic capacity. Despite overwhelming evidence that an inactive lifestyle leads to chronic disease and premature death, many adults fail to meet physical activity guidelines. Physical inactivity, defined as physical activity levels less than those required for optimal health and prevention of premature death, is a public health crisis. More than 1.4 billion adults worldwide classed as physically inactive, representing a large economic burden to healthcare systems. Clearly, new strategies are urgently needed to increase physical activity participation in the increasingly inactive population.

A number of behavioural and environmental factors associated with modern lifestyle including urbanisation, mechanisation and increased motorised transport are largely responsible for the high prevalence of physical inactivity, in addition to a number of common exercise barriers. Lack of time is cited as the main barrier to exercise as many individuals feel that increasing work hours and family commitments mean they cannot achieve the physical activity guidelines. Other common barriers within the general population include limited access to exercise facilities and appropriate equipment, difficulty with transportation, inadequate financial resources, bad weather and lack of motivation to engage in regular exercise. In an attempt to overcome many of the common barriers to exercise, members of our research group developed a virtually-monitored exercise intervention that used simple on-the-spot bodyweight exercises that could be performed in the participant's home without supervision or equipment. This home-based intervention was designed to be a practical and effective training strategy capable of producing metabolic and functional adaptions while removing many of the common barriers to exercise uptake and adherence such as "intimidating" gym environments, difficulty with access to facilities, travel time and financial constraints. Although these pilot studies successfully reduced common exercise barriers, more engaging exercise strategies are needed to increase levels of physical activity in the physically inactive population.

Inspired by current trends in the fitness market, the Swiss company Sphery Ltd. developed an immersive and motivating fitness exercise game (exergame), the "ExerCube". The ExerCube provides a full-body workout that concurrently challenges physical and cognitive functions as well as adapting to the individuals' fitness and skill level. Previous research has shown that the ExerCube is an effective training method that is more enjoyable than conventional exercise training. Development of a home-based version of the ExerCube has the potential to make this system available to more individuals, and to reduce major barriers to exercise, providing an attractive strategy to improve cardio-metabolic health of the population. Innovative home-based exergames are in demand given the increase in the number of people wanting to exercise at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Physical Inactivity

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

A single-centre, single-armed, open label pilot study
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

home-based exergaming

The home-based exergame intervention will take place in an unsupervised place of the participant's choosing. Participants will be provided with all of the equipment (including a television if required) and receive instructions on how to use the system. Participants will be provided with a stepped training plan with exergame session durations of 19 minutes (4x 3-minutes 45-seconds of exercise interspersed with 1 minute of rest) in weeks 1 and 2; 24-minutes (4x 5-minutes of exercise interspersed with 1 minute of rest) in week 3 and 4; and 30-minutes (5x 5-minutes of exercise interspersed with 1 minute of rest) in week 5 and 6. Sessions will be set at a vigorous intensity (≥80% heart rate maximum) and participants will be provided with individualised heart rate zones to achieve in line with heart rate maximum determined during a maximal exercise test in Visit 2. Participants will be asked to train 3 times per week.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Home-based exergaming

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will undertake one of two 6-week training interventions. In both groups participants will be asked to train 3 times per week (18 sessions total), during which adherence to the training will be measured. To monitor adherence to training and training load (exercise completion, exercise duration and heart rate achieved during workouts) throughout the 6 weeks participants will be given a heart rate monitor.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Home-based exergaming

Participants will undertake one of two 6-week training interventions. In both groups participants will be asked to train 3 times per week (18 sessions total), during which adherence to the training will be measured. To monitor adherence to training and training load (exercise completion, exercise duration and heart rate achieved during workouts) throughout the 6 weeks participants will be given a heart rate monitor.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Male or female
* Aged 18-55
* Physically inactive, defined as not meeting the exercise guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week
* BMI 18.5 kg/m2 - 30 kg/m2
* No known cardiovascular disorders
* Able to provide written informed consent and understand instructions

Exclusion Criteria

* Overt diabetes mellitus (type 1, type 2, other forms of diabetes)
* Pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant during the study, or breast feeding
* Physical or psychological disease likely to interfere with the normal conduct of the study as judged by the investigator
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

55 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University of Bern

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Christoph Stettler, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Bern

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Bern, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Switzerland

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Amanat S, Ghahri S, Dianatinasab A, Fararouei M, Dianatinasab M. Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1228:91-105. doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32342452 (View on PubMed)

Booth FW, Roberts CK, Laye MJ. Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Compr Physiol. 2012 Apr;2(2):1143-211. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c110025.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23798298 (View on PubMed)

Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, Borodulin K, Buman MP, Cardon G, Carty C, Chaput JP, Chastin S, Chou R, Dempsey PC, DiPietro L, Ekelund U, Firth J, Friedenreich CM, Garcia L, Gichu M, Jago R, Katzmarzyk PT, Lambert E, Leitzmann M, Milton K, Ortega FB, Ranasinghe C, Stamatakis E, Tiedemann A, Troiano RP, van der Ploeg HP, Wari V, Willumsen JF. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Dec;54(24):1451-1462. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33239350 (View on PubMed)

Chtourou H, Trabelsi K, H'mida C, Boukhris O, Glenn JM, Brach M, Bentlage E, Bott N, Shephard RJ, Ammar A, Bragazzi NL. Staying Physically Active During the Quarantine and Self-Isolation Period for Controlling and Mitigating the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Overview of the Literature. Front Psychol. 2020 Aug 19;11:1708. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01708. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33013497 (View on PubMed)

Ding D, Lawson KD, Kolbe-Alexander TL, Finkelstein EA, Katzmarzyk PT, van Mechelen W, Pratt M; Lancet Physical Activity Series 2 Executive Committee. The economic burden of physical inactivity: a global analysis of major non-communicable diseases. Lancet. 2016 Sep 24;388(10051):1311-24. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30383-X. Epub 2016 Jul 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27475266 (View on PubMed)

Donath L, Roth R, Hurlimann C, Zahner L, Faude O. Pilates vs. Balance Training in Health Community-Dwelling Seniors: a 3-arm, Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Sports Med. 2016 Mar;37(3):202-10. doi: 10.1055/s-0035-1559695. Epub 2015 Dec 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26630547 (View on PubMed)

Franklin BA, Bonzheim K, Gordon S, Timmis GC. Safety of medically supervised outpatient cardiac rehabilitation exercise therapy: a 16-year follow-up. Chest. 1998 Sep;114(3):902-6. doi: 10.1378/chest.114.3.902. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9743182 (View on PubMed)

Gibbons RJ, Balady GJ, Bricker JT, Chaitman BR, Fletcher GF, Froelicher VF, Mark DB, McCallister BD, Mooss AN, O'Reilly MG, Winters WL Jr, Gibbons RJ, Antman EM, Alpert JS, Faxon DP, Fuster V, Gregoratos G, Hiratzka LF, Jacobs AK, Russell RO, Smith SC Jr; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee to Update the 1997 Exercise Testing Guidelines). ACC/AHA 2002 guideline update for exercise testing: summary article: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee to Update the 1997 Exercise Testing Guidelines). Circulation. 2002 Oct 1;106(14):1883-92. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.0000034670.06526.15. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12356646 (View on PubMed)

Gibbons RJ, Balady GJ, Beasley JW, Bricker JT, Duvernoy WF, Froelicher VF, Mark DB, Marwick TH, McCallister BD, Thompson PD Jr, Winters WL, Yanowitz FG, Ritchie JL, Gibbons RJ, Cheitlin MD, Eagle KA, Gardner TJ, Garson A Jr, Lewis RP, O'Rourke RA, Ryan TJ. ACC/AHA Guidelines for Exercise Testing. A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee on Exercise Testing). J Am Coll Cardiol. 1997 Jul;30(1):260-311. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(97)00150-2. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9207652 (View on PubMed)

Guthold R, Stevens GA, Riley LM, Bull FC. Worldwide trends in insufficient physical activity from 2001 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 358 population-based surveys with 1.9 million participants. Lancet Glob Health. 2018 Oct;6(10):e1077-e1086. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30357-7. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30193830 (View on PubMed)

Hallal PC, Andersen LB, Bull FC, Guthold R, Haskell W, Ekelund U; Lancet Physical Activity Series Working Group. Global physical activity levels: surveillance progress, pitfalls, and prospects. Lancet. 2012 Jul 21;380(9838):247-57. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60646-1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22818937 (View on PubMed)

Jekauc D, Nigg C, Nigg CR, Reichert M, Krell-Roesch J, Oriwol D, Schmidt S, Wunsch K, Woll A. Measurement properties of the German version of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale for adults. PLoS One. 2020 Nov 18;15(11):e0242069. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242069. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33206685 (View on PubMed)

Kohl HW 3rd, Craig CL, Lambert EV, Inoue S, Alkandari JR, Leetongin G, Kahlmeier S; Lancet Physical Activity Series Working Group. The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. Lancet. 2012 Jul 21;380(9838):294-305. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60898-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22818941 (View on PubMed)

Morgan F, Battersby A, Weightman AL, Searchfield L, Turley R, Morgan H, Jagroo J, Ellis S. Adherence to exercise referral schemes by participants - what do providers and commissioners need to know? A systematic review of barriers and facilitators. BMC Public Health. 2016 Mar 5;16:227. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-2882-7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26944952 (View on PubMed)

Motl RW, Dishman RK, Saunders R, Dowda M, Felton G, Pate RR. Measuring enjoyment of physical activity in adolescent girls. Am J Prev Med. 2001 Aug;21(2):110-7. doi: 10.1016/s0749-3797(01)00326-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11457630 (View on PubMed)

Myers J. Cardiology patient pages. Exercise and cardiovascular health. Circulation. 2003 Jan 7;107(1):e2-5. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.0000048890.59383.8d. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12515760 (View on PubMed)

Myers J, Prakash M, Froelicher V, Do D, Partington S, Atwood JE. Exercise capacity and mortality among men referred for exercise testing. N Engl J Med. 2002 Mar 14;346(11):793-801. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa011858.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11893790 (View on PubMed)

Plisky PJ, Gorman PP, Butler RJ, Kiesel KB, Underwood FB, Elkins B. The reliability of an instrumented device for measuring components of the star excursion balance test. N Am J Sports Phys Ther. 2009 May;4(2):92-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21509114 (View on PubMed)

Scott SN, Shepherd SO, Andrews RC, Narendran P, Purewal TS, Kinnafick F, Cuthbertson DJ, Atkinson-Goulding S, Noon T, Wagenmakers AJM, Cocks M. A Multidisciplinary Evaluation of a Virtually Supervised Home-Based High-Intensity Interval Training Intervention in People With Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2019 Dec;42(12):2330-2333. doi: 10.2337/dc19-0871. Epub 2019 Sep 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31530660 (View on PubMed)

Scott SN, Shepherd SO, Hopkins N, Dawson EA, Strauss JA, Wright DJ, Cooper RG, Kumar P, Wagenmakers AJM, Cocks M. Home-hit improves muscle capillarisation and eNOS/NAD(P)Hoxidase protein ratio in obese individuals with elevated cardiovascular disease risk. J Physiol. 2019 Aug;597(16):4203-4225. doi: 10.1113/JP278062. Epub 2019 Jul 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31218680 (View on PubMed)

Shepherd SO, Cocks M, Tipton KD, Ranasinghe AM, Barker TA, Burniston JG, Wagenmakers AJ, Shaw CS. Sprint interval and traditional endurance training increase net intramuscular triglyceride breakdown and expression of perilipin 2 and 5. J Physiol. 2013 Feb 1;591(3):657-75. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.240952. Epub 2012 Nov 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23129790 (View on PubMed)

Tari AR, Nauman J, Zisko N, Skjellegrind HK, Bosnes I, Bergh S, Stensvold D, Selbaek G, Wisloff U. Temporal changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of dementia incidence and mortality: a population-based prospective cohort study. Lancet Public Health. 2019 Nov;4(11):e565-e574. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30183-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31677775 (View on PubMed)

Trost SG, Owen N, Bauman AE, Sallis JF, Brown W. Correlates of adults' participation in physical activity: review and update. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Dec;34(12):1996-2001. doi: 10.1097/00005768-200212000-00020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12471307 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

HomeExergame

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Home-Based Exergaming Intervention
NCT04540523 WITHDRAWN NA