Lessons on exercising at a set time made no clear difference for heart patients
Who it’s about: Adults, People with a health condition
- No difference
Group lessons on exercise at a set time with cues at home made no clear change to weekly exercise.
- Rule: At the same time every daytested
- Rule: Put a visible cue where you'll do ittested
- Action: Exerciseused
- Rule: Practise with a groupused
Very small randomised trial of 13 heart patients starting cardiac rehab in Canada · vs group meetings about healthy eating, same gym · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show
The study
Who took part
13 heart patients aged 50 to 84, about 64 on average, who had just joined a heart rehab centre in Montreal, Canada. None of them were getting as much exercise as advised.
What they did
The habit group had three monthly group meetings. They learned to exercise at the same time each day and to use cues at home, such as gym clothes laid out. Then they got monthly phone calls for months 4 to 6. The other group had meetings about healthy eating and used the same gym.
What happened
After six months the habit group said they did about 228 minutes of brisk exercise a week, against 151. With so few people, this could be chance. At three months there was almost no difference. Some of the paper's numbers don't add up, and the authors claim more than their results show.
Source
Facilitating Exercise Habit Formation among Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial (2021)
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126440 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Rule · where5
Put a visible cue where you'll do itA sticker, poster, object or wearable prompt at the point of action.
