Rates of compliance and adherence to high-intensity interval training: a systematic review and Meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: To determine rates of compliance (i.e., supervised intervention attendance) and adherence (i.e., unsupervised physical activity completion) to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) among insufficiently active adults and adults with a medical condition, and determine whether compliance and adherence rates were different between HIIT and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). METHODS: Articles on adults in a HIIT intervention and who were either insufficiently active or had a medical condition were included. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched. Article screening and data extraction were completed by two independent reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2.0 or ROBINS-I. Meta-analyses were conducted to discern differences in compliance and adherence between HIIT vs. MICT. Sensitivity analyses, publication bias, sub-group analyses, and quality appraisal were conducted for each meta-analysis. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-eight unique studies were included (n = 8928 participants). Compliance to HIIT interventions averaged 89.4% (SD:11.8%), while adherence to HIIT averaged 63% (SD: 21.1%). Compliance and adherence to MICT averaged 92.5% (SD:10.6%) and 68.2% (SD:16.2%), respectively. Based on 65 studies included in the meta-analysis, compliance rates were not different between supervised HIIT and MICT interventions [Hedge's g = 0.015 (95%CI: - 0.088-0.118), p = .78]. Results were robust and low risk of publication bias was detected. No differences were detected based on sub-group analyses comparing medical conditions or risk of bias of studies. Quality of the evidence was rated as moderate over concerns in the directness of the evidence. Based on 10 studies, adherence rates were not different between unsupervised HIIT and MICT interventions [Hedge's g = - 0.313 (95%CI: - 0.681-0.056), p = .096]. Sub-group analysis points to differences in adherence rates dependent on the method of outcome measurement. Adherence results should be interpreted with caution due to very low quality of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance to HIIT and MICT was high among insufficiently active adults and adults with a medical condition. Adherence to HIIT and MICT was relatively moderate, although there was high heterogeneity and very low quality of evidence. Further research should take into consideration exercise protocols employed, methods of outcome measurement, and measurement timepoints. REGISTRATION: This review was registered in the PROSPERO database and given the identifier CRD42019103313.

Can In-Task Affect During Interval and Continuous Exercise Predict 12-Month Physical Activity Behavior? Findings from a Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: In-task affective responses to moderate-intensity continuous exercise training (MICT) have been shown to predict future physical activity behavior. However, limited research has investigated whether this affect-behavior relationship is similar for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and whether it holds true over the longer term. This study aims to determine (1) if in-task affect during 2 weeks of supervised MICT and HIIT predicted changes to unsupervised moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) behavior 12 months post-intervention and (2) if this predictive relationship was moderated by exercise type (MICT vs. HIIT). METHOD: Ninety-nine adults (69.7% female; 50.9 ± 9.4 years) who were low active and overweight were randomized to 2 weeks of exercise training of MICT (n = 52) or HIIT (n = 47), followed by 12 months of accelerometry-assessed free-living MVPA. RESULTS: The pooled moderation model was not significant, F(3, 94) = 2.54, p = .07 (R2 = 0.085), with a non-significant group by affect interaction (p = .06). The conditional effect for MICT was significant (B = 17.27, t = 2.17, p = .03), suggesting that 12-month change in MVPA increased by 17.27 min/week for every one-point increase in in-task affect. The conditional effect for HIIT was not significant (p = .85), suggesting that in-task affect was not predictive of 12-month change in MVPA. CONCLUSION: The current findings raise important questions about whether the affect-behavior relationship may vary depending on exercise type. For HIIT-based exercise in particular, additional psychological constructs beyond in-task affect should be considered when attempting to predict future physical activity behavior.

Successes and Challenges From a Motivational Interviewing-Informed Diabetes Prevention Program Situated in the Community.

To manage the rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, sustainable diabetes prevention programs are needed. In this study, a process evaluation was conducted to qualitatively understand perceived successes and challenges of a diabetes prevention program situated in the community. This study took place in the first year of a multiyear project. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of women clients (n = 14) postprogram and trainers (n = 10) 9 months into program implementation. Interviews were audio-recoded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a Template Approach. Data were first analyzed deductively into two categories that aligned with the study's purpose (successes and challenges). Second, an inductive analysis was used to understand program delivery processes within each category. Clients and trainers expressed (a) program successes related to recruitment strategy, outlook on making behavior changes, and communication style used within the program and (b) program challenges surrounding effort of learning and applying the communication strategy, usefulness of program applications and tools, and program fit. This evaluation provides practical implications and future directions for diabetes prevention programs, and has informed tailoring and expansion of the program of focus. Results demonstrate the success of motivational interviewing from both client and trainer perspectives and the impact of community partnerships to increase prediabetes awareness in the community. Overall, the program's diabetes prevention and behavior change strategies coupled with a client-centered approach facilitated women clients in making diet and exercise modifications.

Increasing dietary calcium intake of children and their parents: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 25 % of Canadian children aged 4-8 years fail to meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of calcium (Ca). Young children's food choices are primarily determined by their parents. No interventions have directly targeted parents as a medium through which to increase children's Ca consumption. This study compared the effectiveness of a Ca-specific intervention targeted towards parents, with generic dietary advice on the Ca consumption of children aged 4-10 years. DESIGN: A parallel two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted. SETTING: The study was conducted across Canada. Both conditions received information on the RDA of Ca and an index of intake requirements. Material sent to the intervention condition included behavioural strategies to increase dietary Ca consumption, information on the benefits of dietary Ca intake and messages addressing perceived barriers to the consumption of Ca-rich foods. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 239 parents (93 % mothers) of children aged 4-10 years who consumed less than the RDA of Ca were randomly assigned in a 1:1 allocation ratio. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in total Ca intake and Ca from dairy for children at weeks 8, 34 and 52 (P ≤ 0·001) in both conditions. Parental Ca intake and amount spent on dairy products did not significantly increase following the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of daily Ca requirements with regular reminders could impact parents' delivery of Ca-rich foods to their children. This finding is important for public health messaging as it suggests that parents are a potent medium through which to promote Ca intake in children.

Psychological responses to HIIT and MICT over a 2-week progressive randomized trial among individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes.

The purpose of this secondary analysis study was to examine the affective and social cognitive responses to low-volume high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) over a progressive two-week supervised intervention for individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes. Ninety-nine adults that were low-active and overweight were randomized into one of two exercise conditions and had affective and social cognitive measures assessed before, during, and after intervention. Increases over time in post-exercise enjoyment, attitudes towards exercise, and intentions to exercise were noted for both HIIT and MICT conditions (ps <.05). The patterns of change in acute affective responses over the two-week intervention were consistent for both conditions, with participants in MICT reporting more positive in-task affect and affective attitudes throughout (ps <.001). Positive correlational relationships between affective and social cognitive responses were revealed throughout the intervention (ps <.05), highlighting the relationship between reflexive responses and reflective cognitions. Research is warranted to determine whether findings are a consequence of familiarization with exercise, whether such findings are translatable to real-world environments and non-progressive exercise protocols, and whether these reflexive responses and reflective cognitions are predictive of future exercise behaviour for individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes.

Development and Evaluation of the High-Intensity Interval Training Self-Efficacy Questionnaire.

This study involved the design and evaluation of the High-Intensity Interval Training Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (HIIT-SQ). Phase 1: Questionnaire items were developed. Phase 2: Australian adolescents (N = 389, 16.0 ± 0.4 years, 41.10% female) completed the HIIT-SQ, and factorial validity of the measurement model was explored. Phase 3: Adolescents (N = 100, age 12-14 years, 44% female) completed the HIIT-SQ twice (1 week apart) to evaluate test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis of the final six items (mean = 3.43-6.73, SD = 0.99-25.30) revealed adequate fit, χ2(21) = 21, p = .01, comparative fit index = .99, Tucker-Lewis index = .99, root mean square of approximation = .07, 90% confidence interval [.04, .11]. Factor loading estimates showed that all items were highly related to the factor (estimates range: 0.81-0.90). Intraclass coefficients and typical error values were .99 (95% confidence interval [.99, 1.00]) and .22, respectively. This study provides preliminary evidence for the validity and reliability of scores derived from the HIIT-SQ in adolescents.

Sprint exercise snacks: a novel approach to increase aerobic fitness.

PURPOSE: Sprint interval training (SIT), involving brief intermittent bursts of vigorous exercise within a single training session, is a time-efficient way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). It is unclear whether performing sprints spread throughout the day with much longer (≥ 1 h) recovery periods can similarly improve CRF, potentially allowing individuals to perform "sprint snacks" throughout the day to gain health benefits. METHODS: Healthy, young, inactive adults (~ 22 years, peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak] ~ 35 ml kg- 1 min- 1) were randomly assigned to one of two groups and performed 18 training sessions over 6 wks. Sprint snacks (SS) involved 3 × 20-s 'all out' cycling bouts separated by 1-4-h rest (n = 12, 7 females). Traditional SIT involved 3 × 20-s bouts interspersed with 3-min rest within a 10-min training session (n = 16, 7 females). The primary outcome was CRF determined by a VO2peak test conducted before and after training. Secondary outcomes included a 150 kJ cycling time trial and exercise enjoyment. RESULTS: Absolute VO2peak increased by ~ 6% after SIT and ~ 4% for SS (main effect of time P = 0.002) with no difference between groups (group × time interaction, P = 0.52). 150 kJ time trial performance improved by ~ 13% in SIT and ~ 9% in SS (main effect of time, P < 0.001) with no difference between groups (group × time interaction, P = 0.36). CONCLUSION: CRF was similarly increased by a protocol involving sprint snacks spread throughout the day and a traditional SIT protocol in which bouts were separated by short recovery periods within a single training session.

Short-term exercise training reduces anti-inflammatory action of interleukin-10 in adults with obesity.

A key pathological component of obesity is chronic low-grade inflammation, which is propagated by infiltration of immune cells into tissues and overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines that possess anti-inflammatory properties, such as interleukin (IL)-10 and IL6, may also play an important role. This study was designed to determine the impact of short-term exercise on the anti-inflammatory action of IL10 and IL6. Thirty-three inactive obese adults were randomized to two weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Fasting blood samples were collected before and after training. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production was measured in whole blood cultures in the presence or absence of IL10 or IL6. IL10 and IL6 receptor expression were measured on circulating monocytes, neutrophils, and T cells. HIIT and MICT reduced the ability of IL10 to inhibit LPS-induced TNFα production, with a greater effect with HIIT (Group × Time and IL10 × Time interactions, p's < 0.05). This reduction in IL10 function was not explained by altered IL10R1 expression, which was unchanged after training (p > 0.05). HIIT and MICT differentially affected IL6 function (Group × Time and IL6 × Time interactions, p's < 0.05) with evidence of reductions in the anti-inflammatory ability of IL6 with HIIT. Neither HIIT nor MICT altered levels of circulating IL10, IL6, or TNFα. The impact of short-term HIIT and MICT resulted in differential effects on anti-inflammatory cytokine function. The clinical implications remain to be determined but these novel findings indicate that measuring anti-inflammatory cytokine action could reveal important immunomodulatory effects of exercise.

Evaluation of a community-based, family focused healthy weights initiative using the RE-AIM framework.

BACKGROUND: Childhood overweight and obesity is a major public health concern. Community-based interventions have the potential to reach caregivers and children. However, the overall health impact of these programs is rarely comprehensively assessed. This study evaluated a physical activity and healthy eating family program (Healthy Together; HT) using the RE-AIM framework. METHODS: Ten sites implemented the 5-week program. Thirty-nine staff members and 277 program participants (126 caregivers [M age = 35.6] and 151 children [M age = 13]) participated in the evaluation. Each RE-AIM dimension was assessed independently using a mixed-methods approach. Sources of data included archival records, interviews and surveys. Effectiveness outcome variables were assessed at pre- and post-intervention and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Reach: HT participants were almost entirely recruited from existing programs within sites. Effectiveness: Caregivers' nutrition related efficacy beliefs increased following HT (ps < .03). Participation in HT was not associated with significant changes in physical activity or nutrition behaviour or perceived social support (ps > .05). Knowledge surrounding healthy diets and physical activity increased in children and caregivers (ps < .05). Adoption: Thirty-five percent of sites approached to implement HT expressed interest. The 10 sites selected recruited existing staff members to implement HT. IMPLEMENTATION: Program objectives were met 72.8% of the time and 71 adaptations were made. HT was finance- and time-dependent. Maintenance: Two sites fully implemented HT in the follow-up year and 5 sites incorporated aspects of HT into other programs. CONCLUSIONS: Working alongside organizations that develop community programs to conduct comprehensive, arms-length evaluations can systematically highlight areas of success and challenges. Overall HT represents a feasible community-based intervention; however further support is required in order to ensure the program is effective at positively targeting the desired outcomes. As a result of this evaluation, modifications are currently being implemented to HT.

Targeted Messages Increase Dairy Consumption in Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Dairy consumption amongst North Americans aged 30-50 has been declining. Targeted messages have been identified as a cost-efficient method through which to increase health-enhancing behavior, such as dairy intake. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to assess the utility of targeted, framed, efficacy-enhancing messages on calcium consumption from dairy in adults aged 30-50 in a randomized controlled trial. METHOD: Seven hundred and thirty-two individuals (463 women, 269 men; M age = 40.57 years) were randomly assigned to one of five message conditions: (1) gain-framed (GF), (2) loss-framed (LF), (3) self-regulatory efficacy-enhancing (SRE), (4) GF plus SRE (GF + SRE), or (5) LF plus SRE (LF + SRE). Conditions were separate for men and women. Each condition received an emailed message on four consecutive days. Calcium intake from dairy, self-regulatory efficacy, outcome expectations, and outcome value were measured at baseline, 1 and 4 weeks following the intervention. RESULTS: Calcium intake from dairy significantly increased from baseline to week 1 post-intervention in all conditions (p < .001). A significant message condition x time interaction (p = .04) revealed that increases seen in the LF + SRE condition were maintained at week 4. All social cognitive constructs increased following the intervention (ps < .01). Self-regulatory efficacy (ß = .28, p < .01) and outcome expectations (ß = .19, p < .01) were significant predictors of subsequent calcium intake (week 4) from dairy. CONCLUSION: Taken together, it appears as though ensuring message content is targeted to the specific population's beliefs and motives is of importance when developing behavioral change intervention material.

Strategies for public health initiatives targeting dairy consumption in young children: a qualitative formative investigation of parent perceptions.

OBJECTIVE: Dairy products contain essential nutrients to ensure healthy growth and bone development in children. However, a significant proportion of children in developed countries fail to consume the daily recommended intake of dairy products. Parents are the gatekeepers of familial nutritional intake and represent a potential vehicle through which to increase dairy consumption in children. As such, formative research was conducted to gain insight into parents' perceived barriers to and benefits of purchasing and consuming dairy products and to develop innovative message content that could be utilized in future public health campaigns. DESIGN: Seven in-depth group interviews were conducted in two phases between February and May 2015. SETTING: Interviews were conducted in local recreational centres and libraries in British Columbia, Canada. SUBJECTS: Mothers (n 21, mean age 38 (sd 5) years) and fathers (n 9, mean age 38 (sd 3) years) of children aged 4-10 years. RESULTS: Parents perceived both positive and negative physical outcomes associated with consuming dairy. Lack of trustworthy information was a frequently discussed barrier theme to purchasing and consuming dairy products. Mothers were concerned about the cost of dairy products. Differences in purchasing and consumption strategies were reported between parents of children who consumed adequate dairy and those who did not. Parents believed the most appropriate communication channel was through print material. CONCLUSIONS: Messages targeting parents, as a means of increasing dairy consumption in children, should address barriers identified by parents. In addition, practical tips should be provided to promote purchasing and consumption of dairy products.

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a school-based physical activity policy in Canada: application of the theoretical domains framework.

BACKGROUND: In British Columbia Canada, a Daily Physical Activity (DPA) policy was mandated that requires elementary school teachers to provide students with opportunities to achieve 30 min of physical activity during the school day. However, the implementation of school-based physical activity policies is influenced by many factors. A theoretical examination of the factors that impede and enhance teachers' implementation of physical activity policies is necessary in order to develop strategies to improve policy practice and achieve desired outcomes. This study used the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to understand teachers' barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the DPA policy in one school district. Additionally, barriers and facilitators were examined and compared according to how the teacher implemented the DPA policy during the instructional school day. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with thirteen teachers and transcribed verbatim. One researcher performed barrier and facilitator extraction, with double extraction occurring across a third of the interview transcripts by a second researcher. A deductive and inductive analytical approach in a two-stage process was employed whereby barriers and facilitators were deductively coded using TDF domains (content analysis) and analyzed for sub-themes within each domain. Two researchers performed coding. RESULTS: A total of 832 items were extracted from the interview transcripts. Some items were coded into multiple TDF domains, resulting in a total of 1422 observations. The most commonly coded TDF domains accounting for 75% of the total were Environmental context and resources (ECR; n = 250), Beliefs about consequences (n = 225), Social influences (n = 193), Knowledge (n = 100), and Intentions (n = 88). Teachers who implemented DPA during instructional time differed from those who relied on non-instructional time in relation to Goals, Behavioural regulation, Social/professional role and identity, Beliefs about Consequences. Forty-one qualitative sub-themes were identified across the fourteen domains and exemplary quotes were highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Teachers identified barriers and facilitators relating to all TDF domains, with ECR, Beliefs about consequences, Social influences, Knowledge and Intentions being the most often discussed influencers of DPA policy implementation. Use of the TDF to understand the implementation factors can assist with the systematic development of future interventions to improve implementation.

Self-compassion directly and indirectly predicts dietary adherence and quality of life among adults with celiac disease.

Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only treatment for preventing both short- and long-term consequences of celiac disease. Given that following a strict GFD can be difficult, evidence-based strategies are needed to improve the psychological experience of living with celiac disease and following the GFD. Self-compassion appears to be an important component of effectively self-regulating one's behavior to cope with a chronic disease. The main goal of this study was to examine the relationships between self-compassion and management of celiac disease as assessed by (a) adherence to a strict GFD and (b) celiac-specific quality of life (CQoL). The secondary goal of this study was to explore self-regulatory efficacy (i.e., confidence in one's ability to self-manage behavior to follow a strict GFD) and concurrent self-regulatory efficacy (i.e., one's confidence to self-manage other valued life goals while following a strict GFD) as mediators of the relationship between self-compassion and the primary outcomes (adherence and CQoL). In this prospective study, 200 North American adults diagnosed with celiac disease completed online questionnaires at two time points (baseline and 1 month later). Self-compassion at baseline directly predicted stricter adherence (at Time 2; b = -0.63, p = 0.006) and enhanced CQoL (at Time 2; b = -0.50, p = 0.001). Further, self-compassion (at Time 1) also indirectly predicted stricter Time 2 adherence through self-regulatory efficacy (at Time 1; b = -0.26, 95% CI [-0.58, -0.04], R2 = 0.29) and enhanced Time 2 CQoL through concurrent self-regulatory efficacy (at Time 1; b = -0.07, 95% CI [-0.14, -0.03], R2 = 0.33). This was the first study to assess the effects of self-compassion in relation to the psychological experience of coping with celiac disease and following a GFD. The findings indicate that self-compassion, self-regulatory efficacy and concurrent self-regulatory efficacy are important cognitions in understanding adherence to a GFD and CQoL among adults with celiac disease.

Psychosocial predictors of changes in adolescent girls' physical activity and dietary behaviors over the course of the Go Girls! group-based mentoring program.

Changes in social cognitions targeted within a group-based mentoring program for adolescent girls were examined as predictors of changes in physical activity (PA) and dietary behavior (in two separate models) over the course of the 7-week program. Data were collected from 310 participants who participated in the program. Multilevel path models were used to assess changes in psychosocial variables predicting changes in behavioral outcomes from pre- to post-program. Analyses revealed that 24.4 and 12.3% of the variance in increases in PA and dietary behavior, respectively, was explained by increases in affective and instrumental attitudes, self-regulatory efficacy (SRE), and intentions. Increases in intentions partially mediated the effects of increases in SRE and affective attitudes on increases in PA behavior. In relation to improvements in dietary behavior, increases in intentions and SRE directly predicted improvements in dietary behavior. These findings suggest potential psychological mechanisms through which a group-based mentoring program may lead to changes in adolescent girls' health-enhancing PA and dietary behaviors.

A systematic review of behavioural interventions to increase maternal calcium intake.

Pregnancy and lactation are a time when adequate calcium consumption is essential for the development of the fetus and to ensure the health of the mother. Over 50% of Canadian women of childbearing and rearing age fail to meet the recommended daily intake of calcium. Identification of effective behavioural intervention strategies for increasing calcium intake is needed within this specific population. This paper brings together all published behavioural interventions designed to increase calcium consumption in pregnant, lactating or post-partum mothers in a systematic review. Relevant studies were obtained through searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library with no date restrictions. Studies were evaluated using previously published criteria for evaluating calcium behaviour change interventions. This systematic literature review identified five behavioural calcium interventions conducted within this population. Three interventions aimed to improve overall dietary behaviours, the fourth aimed to promote breastfeeding (including increasing calcium consumption) and the fifth aimed to increase daily servings of yoghurt. Only one of the five interventions yielded large effect sizes, with a mean change of 954 mg of calcium per day post-intervention. The number of behavioural change techniques did not appear to be related to intervention efficacy. Only one study used a theoretical framework to guide the intervention. This review highlights the lack of research examining behaviour change interventions aimed at increasing calcium consumption in pregnant, lactating and post-partum women and provides practical suggestions for researchers wishing to intervene with this population in the future.

Affective and Enjoyment Responses to High-Intensity Interval Training in Overweight-to-Obese and Insufficiently Active Adults.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has many known physiological benefits, but research investigating the psychological aspects of this training is limited. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the affective and enjoyment responses to continuous and high-intensity interval exercise sessions. Twenty overweight-to-obese, insufficiently active adults completed four counterbalanced trials: a 20-min trial of heavy continuous exercise and three 24-min HIIT trials that used 30-s, 60-s, and 120-s intervals. Affect declined during all trials (p < .05), but affect at the completion of trials was more positive in the shorter interval trials (p < .05). Enjoyment declined in the 120-s interval and heavy continuous conditions only (p < .05). Postexercise enjoyment was higher in the 60-s trial than in the 120-s trial and heavy continuous condition (p < .05). Findings suggest that pleasure and enjoyment are higher during shorter interval trials than during a longer interval or heavy continuous exercise.

Effects of social belonging and task framing on exercise cognitions and behavior.

The objective of the studies presented in this paper was to examine whether the need to belong can be used to enhance exercise cognitions and behavior. Two studies examined the effectiveness of framing exercise as a means of boosting social skills (versus health benefits) for self-regulatory efficacy, exercise intentions, and (in Study 2) exercise behavior. In Study 1, inactive adults primed to feel a lack of social belonging revealed that this manipulation led to greater self-regulatory efficacy (but not exercise intentions). In Study 2, involving a sample of inactive lonely adults, all participants reported engaging in more exercise; however, those in the social skills condition also reported a greater sense of belonging than those in the health benefits comparison condition. These findings provide an important basis for developing physical activity interventions that might be particularly relevant for people at risk for feeling socially isolated or lonely.

Exercise in the workplace: examining the receptivity of practical and time-efficient stair-climbing "exercise snacks".

In the workplace, people are often sedentary for prolonged time and do not regularly engage in physical activity-two factors independently linked to premature morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the receptivity of incorporating practical stair-climbing "exercise snacks" (Snacks; three isolated bouts of ascending 53-60 stairs performed sporadically throughout the day) into workplace settings compared to more traditional high-intensity interval training (HIIT; performed as three bouts of 53-60 stairs within a structured HIIT workout) and to explore if these exercise strategies could influence sedentary and physical activity behaviour. Fourteen participants (12 women; Mage = 38.9 ± 10.2 years) completed two supervised exercise trials (Snacks and HIIT) followed by 1 week participating in either form of exercise in their workplace. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), affective valence, enjoyment, and self-efficacy were measured at the supervised exercise sessions. During the follow-up period, sedentary behaviour and physical activity were measured with an accelerometer. Affective valence was more positive (p = 0.03; η2 p = 0.21) and there was a lower rise in RPE (p = 0.01; η2 p = 0.29) during Snacks than HIIT. Post-exercise enjoyment of, and self-efficacy towards, Snacks and HIIT were high and similar (ps > 0.05). After the supervised trials, 10/14 of the participants preferred Snacks and 4/14 preferred HIIT (p = 0.18). On days when participants chose to perform either exercise modality, the average number of sit-to-stands in a 24 h period was increased (48.3 ± 8.7 to 52.8 ± 7.8; p = 0.03; Hedge's g = 0.73) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity tended to increase (21.9 ± 18.2 to 38.1 ± 22.1 min; p = 0.06; Hedge's g = 0.60) compared to days when they chose not to exercise. Stair-climbing exercise snacks may be an attractive approach to implement in the workplace setting and has potential to positively impact sedentary behaviour and physical activity metrics.