Physical Activity Awareness Education for Healthy Young Adults

Evaluating Physical Activity Awareness Training in Healthy Young Adults

Background and Rationale:

Physical inactivity in young adults is common and increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers. Awareness-based education that helps individuals reflect on daily routines may support lasting increases in physical activity better than information alone.

Objective:

To determine whether a 10-week Physical Activity Awareness education program-alone or combined with a brief weekly supervised exercise class-improves muscle performance and exercise participation in healthy, sedentary young adults.

Study Design:

Single-center, double-masked, randomized controlled trial. Participants are randomized to one of two parallel groups. Outcome assessors are blinded to group allocation; intervention staff are separate from assessors. Baseline and post-intervention assessments are performed over 10 weeks.

Participants and Eligibility:

Healthy volunteers aged 18-25 years who are inactive or minimally active (per standardized questionnaires), spend >6 hours/day sitting (outside of sleep), and have body mass index ≤30 kg/m². Key exclusions include conditions that make exercise unsafe (e.g., significant visual/vestibular/neurologic disorders), recent spine or lower-limb surgery or fracture, severe musculoskeletal pain limiting movement, pregnancy risk, pacemaker or metal implants, or current athletic training.

Interventions:

Education Only: A 10-week Physical Activity Awareness education program delivered by physiotherapists (health benefits of activity, types of exercise, strategies to reduce sitting time, building enjoyable routines).

Education + Exercise: The same education program plus one supervised group exercise class per week (40 minutes; music-based aerobic activity, core strengthening, warm-up and cool-down).

Assessments and Endpoints:

Primary Endpoint: Trunk endurance on the static forearm plank test (time in seconds maintaining proper alignment).

Secondary Endpoints: Bilateral handgrip strength (best of three trials per hand, kilograms); Modified Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (MCKCUEST) (number of alternating hand touches in 15 seconds while maintaining trunk stability); standing long jump (best distance, centimeters); and self-reported physical activity and exercise participation.

Potential Benefits and Risks:

Participants may gain practical knowledge and improvements in fitness and function. Risks are low for healthy adults but may include temporary muscle soreness, fatigue, or strain. Sessions are supervised by trained staff and exercises can be modified for comfort and safety.

Confidentiality:

Personal information is kept confidential. Data are coded and analyzed in aggregate; individual identities are not reported.

Study Setting and Duration:

University-based study with assessments at the start and end of a 10-week period. The study follows the Declaration of Helsinki and has institutional ethics approval.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Classified as inactive or minimally active according to International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) scores (Karaaslan et al., 2023).
2. Engaging in sedentary behavior, defined as an average of more than 6 hours per day of sitting or lying down (excluding sleep) and having an energy expenditure of < 1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs) (Tremblay et al., 2017).
3. Provides informed consent.
4. Body mass index (BMI) of ≤ 30 kg/m² (Douris et al., 2012).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any visual, auditory, vestibular, or neurological impairment.
2. History of traumatic injury, fracture, or surgery involving the spine or lower extremities within the past year.
3. Severe musculoskeletal pain that limits joint movement.
4. Pregnancy risk.
5. Use of a pacemaker or presence of metallic implants.
6. Background of active athletic training.
7. Any health condition that contraindicates exercise participation (Akbas & Unver, 2021).at contraindicated exercise participation (Akbaş & Ünver, 2021).