Testing whether brief bouts of stair climbing during daily life, guided by a smartwatch, can improve health
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN13840981 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13840981 |
- Submission date
- 11/07/2025
- Registration date
- 23/09/2025
- Last edited
- 23/09/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Circulatory System
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
This study aims to test a time-efficient exercise method called “exercise snacking”, which involves brief bouts of stair-climbing (less than 1 minute) performed several times a day. The goal is to determine whether using a smartwatch to guide and supervise these sessions makes the program feasible and acceptable for everyday life. The study also investigated whether this form of exercise can improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
Who can participate?
Adults aged 18 to 59 years who are generally healthy, physically inactive (engaging in less than 1 hour of structured physical activity per week), and capable of stair climbing.
What does the study involve?
Participants complete a 6-week exercise snacking intervention, which includes: six 30-minute sessions with a personal trainer, and self-administered bouts of stair-climbing (“exercise snacks”) performed during the intervention period and recorded via a smartwatch.
The study assesses:
1. Feasibility (frequency, duration and intensity) of exercise snacks, measured using the smartwatch app.
2. Acceptability of exercise snacks in daily life with smartwatch, evaluated through interviews after 2 and 4 weeks, and a self-developed questionnaire after 6 weeks.
3. Changes in anaerobic performance and aerobic performance before and after the intervention.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may improve their fitness and discover a convenient, time-efficient way to stay active without requiring gym access or trainer supervision.
As with any high-intensity exercise, there is a small risk of muscle soreness or injury, especially during stair climbing. However, the short duration of exercise snacks and supervision help minimise these risks.
Where is the study run from?
University of Konstanz (Germany)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
July 2023 to January 2024
Who is funding the study?
University of Konstanz (Germany)
Who is the main contact?
Yvonne Ritter, yvonne.ritter@uni-konstanz.de
Contact information
Public, Scientific
Universitätsstraße 10
Konstanz
78464
Germany
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-8755-9576 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +49 (0)7531883030 |
| yvonne.ritter@uni-konstanz.de |
Principal Investigator
Universitätsstraße 10
Konstanz
78464
Germany
| ORCID ID |
0000-0002-6184-7980 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +49 (0)7531883030 |
| michael.schwenk@uni-konstanz.de |
Study information
| Study design | Pre-post training study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study setting(s) | Home, University/medical school/dental school, Workplace |
| Study type | Prevention |
| Participant information sheet | 47659_PIS_27Sep23.pdf |
| Scientific title | Effects of brief, smartwatch-guided stair-climbing "exercise snacks" on physical activity levels and cardiovascular health in inactive adults: a proof-of-concept study |
| Study objectives | The primary objectives of this proof-of-concept study were to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a newly developed stair-climbing Exercise Snacking (ES) training program. Secondary objectives included examining pre- to post-intervention changes in aerobic and anaerobic fitness following 6 weeks of ES training. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 12/07/2023, Ethics Committee of the University of Konstanz (Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany; +49 (0)7531885037; marcel.leist@uni-konstanz.de), ref: IRB23KN07-005w |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Cardiovascular fitness |
| Intervention | Participants receive an exercise snacking intervention consisting of six 30-minute sessions with a personal trainer over the course of 6 weeks, and self-administered exercise snacks (brief stair-climbing bouts, >9 per week) performed independently during the training intervention period, guided by a smartwatch. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Feasibility of the smartwatch-guided Exercise Snacking intervention assessed based on the frequency, duration, and intensity of completed exercise snacks. Each exercise snack was recorded from the smartwatch app for analysis. 2. Acceptability of the intervention in daily life was evaluated through semi-structured interviews conducted after 2 and 4 weeks, and a self-developed questionnaire administered at the end of the 6-week training period. The questionnaire included both Likert-scaled items and open-ended questions to capture participants’ subjective experiences. |
| Secondary outcome measures | Measured before and after the 6-week Exercise Snacking intervention: 1. Anaerobic performance assessed using the Counter Movement Jump (CMJ) and the Stair Climb Power Test (SCP) 2. Aerobic performance measured via a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) |
| Overall study start date | 12/07/2023 |
| Completion date | 31/01/2024 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Employee, Learner/student |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Upper age limit | 59 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 10 |
| Total final enrolment | 10 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Healthy (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire, PAR-Q+) 2. Physically inactive (self-reported <1 hour of structured physical activity per week) |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Cardiometabolic or orthopedic diseases 2. Other conditions contraindicating intensive endurance training |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/09/2023 |
| Date of final enrolment | 01/12/2023 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Germany
Study participating centre
Konstanz
78464
Germany
Sponsor information
University/education
Universitätsstraße 10
Konstanz
78464
Germany
| Website | https://www.sportwissenschaft.uni-konstanz.de |
|---|---|
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/0546hnb39 |
Funders
Funder type
University/education
Government organisation / Universities (academic only)
- Alternative name(s)
- University of Konstanz, unikonstanz
- Location
- Germany
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 01/10/2025 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication in a peer-reviewed journal |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/ or analyzed during the current study will be available upon request from Yvonne Ritter (Yvonne.ritter@uni-konstanz.de) |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information sheet | 27/09/2023 | 14/07/2025 | No | Yes |
Additional files
Editorial Notes
14/07/2025: Study's existence confirmed by the University of Konstanz.
