Square Step Exercises in Healthy Young Adults

NCT ID: NCT06331078

Last Updated: 2025-08-19

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-12-01
• Study Completion Date: 2027-12-01

Brief Summary

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Square Stepping Exercise and aerobic exercise on cognitive function and physical fitness in young adults. Participants aged 18-30 with low physical activity levels will be randomly assigned to either the Square Stepping Exercise Group or Aerobic Exercise Group. Both interventions will be supervised by a physiotherapist, performed twice a week for 40 minutes over 4 weeks. Cognitive function will be assessed using various tests, including attention, short-term memory, and executive function evaluations. Physical fitness will be evaluated through jump tests and balance assessments. Blinded assessors will conduct evaluations at baseline and post-intervention in both groups to determine the impact of square stepping exercise and aerobic exercise on cognitive and physical health in young adults.

Conditions

Exercise; Square Step Exercises; Aerobic Exercise; Cognitive Function; Physical Fitness

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Square Stepping Exercise Group

The experimental group will have Square Stepping Exercise training twice a week for 4 weeks. Each session will start with a 15-minute warm-up, followed by a 40-minute Square Stepping Exercise workout and ending with a 15-minute cool-down. The Square Stepping Exercise part will start with the Elementary 2 level, which has 30 different patterns. Participants will start with the first pattern at this level. If they can complete it without mistakes within 15 seconds, they'll move on to the next pattern. If not, they'll repeat the pattern until they get it right within the time limit. Each session will have four participants, with two participants working on each of the two mats, which are divided into 40 squares and measure 100cm by 250 cm.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Square Stepping Exercise training

Intervention Type: OTHER

The experimental group will have Square Stepping Exercise training.

Aerobic Exercise Group

Individuals in the aerobic control cohort will partake in a 40-minute treadmill walking session, maintaining their heart rate at 60% of their individual heart rate reserve as calculated using the Karvonen formula. Before and after the aerobic exercise, a 5-minute warm-up session incorporating stretching and calisthenics, as well as a 5-minute cool-down session, will be conducted.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Aerobic Exercise Training

Intervention Type: OTHER

Individuals in the aerobic control cohort will partake in a treadmill walking session.

Interventions

Square Stepping Exercise training

The experimental group will have Square Stepping Exercise training.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Aerobic Exercise Training

Individuals in the aerobic control cohort will partake in a treadmill walking session.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• International Physical Activity Questionnaire score <600 Metabolic Equivalents (METs),
• No neurological or orthopedic problems affecting gait, balance and lower extremities
• No vision or hearing problems, and no history of musculoskeletal surgery.

Exclusion Criteria

• Participants who have pain due to a musculoskeletal problem
• Participants who are continuing another routine exercise program

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 30 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Fenerbahce University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ezgi Eryildiz

MSc, PT, Research Assistant

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Marmara University

Maltepe, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

29.02.2024/45

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id