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General Rehabilitation

Feasibility and Effectiveness of Exercise Snacking in Older Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Thursday, October 23, 2025
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM MT
Location: Session Room - 250 DEF

    Poster Presenter(s)

  • Joshua Graham, Other

    Medical Student (Year 3)
    Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
    Santa Barbara, California

    • Primary Author(s)

  • CM

    Conor Murphy, MD, PhD

    Primary Care Physician
    RCSI
    Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    • Co-Author(s)

  • CM

    Connor Montgomery, MD

    General Practictioner
    TCD/HSE General Practice training scheme
    Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

  • BT

    Billy Twomey, MD

    Primary Care Physician
    TCD/HSE GP Scheme
    Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

  • JT

    James Timmons, PhD

    Assistant Professor in Strength & Conditioning
    University College Dublin
    Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

  • BE

    Brendan Egan, PhD

    Associate Professor
    Dublin City University
    Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Disclosure(s):
Joshua Graham, Other: No financial relationships to disclose
James Timmons, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose
Brendan Egan, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose
Background and/or Objectives: Sedentary behavior significantly contributes to morbidity, particularly in patients with chronic disease. Exercise snacking, defined as short bouts of higher-intensity exercise performed periodically, offers a potential solution. However, there is a paucity of studies examining exercise snacking in this cohort. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of exercise snacking in older patients enrolled in a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program.

Design: A 4-week primary care-based pilot randomized controlled trial.

Setting : Patients were instructed to perform the exercises at home, and progress was monitored in the primary care setting

Participants : 63 adults aged over 60 years (mean age 73.5 years) enrolled in a CDM program were randomized into intervention and control groups. 53 participants completed the study (84% retention rate).

Interventions: Participants in the intervention group performed five resistance exercises for five minutes, at least twice per day, over approximately four weeks. Exercises required minimal equipment: a chair, flat wall, and a water bottle or milk carton. The control group participated in an active control condition.

Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes included retention, adherence, physical function (sit-to-stand repetitions, hand grip strength, and balance), and self-reported physical activity. Analyses included only participants who completed the follow-up.

Results: The intervention group showed a median adherence rate of 79% based on logbook entries. A significant improvement in hand grip strength was observed in the exercise snacking group compared to controls (η²=0.102, p=0.024). No significant differences were observed in sit-to-stand repetitions or balance scores.

Conclusions: This is among the first known studies to examine exercise snacking in adults with chronic disease. The intervention was well accepted and feasible, with promising effects on physical function. These findings support the integration of exercise snacking into routine healthcare consultations. Further research with larger samples and extended follow-up is warranted to validate and expand on these findings.