Grant: Operating Grant: CCS/CIHR Action Grants

Need for project Lack of physical activity and low fitness are risk factors for developing various cancers. Although participation in regular physical activity can improve fitness, most adults fail to meet Canadian physical activity guidelines largely due to lack of time, low motivation and poor access to facilities. Thus, accessible, scalable, and time-efficient lifestyle approaches that make exercising and improving fitness easier are needed so that more Canadians can reduce their risk of developing cancer. Goal of project Our lab-based studies show that “exercise snacks” – short (under 1-minute) isolated bursts of vigorous exercise performed 3-4 times across the day – are a practical approach to improve fitness. Exercise snacks can be performed using stairs and body weight exercises (e.g., squats, jumping jacks), which suggests that this new approach can be widely applied. We aim to take exercise snacks outside of the lab to examine if exercise snacks at home or work can improve fitness to reduce cancer risk. Project description Adults who are inactive will be randomized to: 1) Exercise Snacks (isolated bursts of exercise under 1-minute in duration performed 3-4 times per day); or 2) Active Control (stretching breaks). Interventions will match participants’ preferences and abilities and be delivered via website and Smartphone app that includes reminders, videos and logs. We will measure fitness, metabolic markers, and enjoyment before and after 12 weeks to see if exercise snacks are feasible for cancer prevention. Future impact Instead of going to the gym or planning a lengthy exercise bout, exercise snacks are a new approach that aims to incorporate fitness-enhancing physical activity into the daily lives of Canadians. The time-efficiency (i.e., under 1 min per snack) and versatility (e.g., can be performed at home or work) of exercise snacks makes them particularly attractive and accessible. This project has the potential to impact research and policy around physical activity, while giving the general public a new way to think about exercise that can be easily incorporated into their daily lives to reap the benefits of improved fitness and reduced cancer risk.