Eyes-Closed Interoceptive Aerobic Exercise Compared With Matched Eyes-Open Treadmill Exercise in Healthy Adults

Feasibility, Acceptability, Psychophysiological Responses, and Cognitive Effects of Prototype Eyes-Closed Interoceptive Aerobic Exercise Versus Matched Eyes-Open Treadmill Exercise: A Randomized Repeated-Exposure Crossover Pilot Trial

This completed single-site pilot trial evaluated a prototype eyes-closed interoceptive aerobic exercise condition compared with a matched eyes-open treadmill control condition in healthy adults. Participants attended one baseline/familiarization visit followed by four randomized experimental treadmill visits. Each participant completed the eyes-closed interoceptive aerobic exercise condition twice and the matched eyes-open control condition twice in one of two randomized sequences. Both conditions used the same individualized 25-minute treadmill protocol, 0% incline, safety harness, front-handle contact requirement, laboratory supervision, and staff-controlled speed transitions. The conditions differed in eye status, attentional instructions, and audio environment. The broader pilot project collected feasibility, safety, fidelity, acceptability, adaptation, affective-experience, cardiovascular/autonomic, blood-pressure, and cognitive-performance outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18 to 45 years
• Prior experience exercising on a treadmill
• Able and willing to attend one baseline/familiarization visit and four experimental laboratory visits
• Able to complete supervised treadmill walking and jogging exercise under laboratory safety procedures
• Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Physical health condition that would preclude safe participation in treadmill exercise
• Pregnancy
• Hypertension
• Cardiac disorder
• Arteriovenous shunt
• Intravascular therapy
• Blood-flow problems
• Mastectomy
• Mental health condition that would preclude safe participation in treadmill exercise
• Diagnosed depression
• Diagnosed anxiety
• Any other condition or safety concern identified by study staff that would make participation unsafe or inappropriate