EXercise Continuation Incorporating Technology Enhancements (EXCITE) Study

The purpose of this study is to inform the integration of mobile and social media components into larger interventions aimed at increasing adherence and maintenance of physical activity. Nearly half of the US population do not meet physical activity recommendations of ≥150 minutes of moderate activity per week. The use of smartphones to "self track" data and upload that data to an online social network is becoming increasingly common and may be an effective way to motivate physical activity adherence and maintenance. We are proposing a two phase study to develop and evaluate a mobile health ("mHealth") intervention that includes the use of two existing technologies: 1) the RunKeeper mobile app to collect and upload exercise data (distance, pace, time), and 2) the RunKeeper.com online social network as a place to analyze uploaded data and engage with a coach and online community. Phase 1 (n=10) will iteratively develop the mHealth intervention and phase 2 (n=30) will pilot the mHealth intervention (participants will be randomized to either mHealth intervention (n=20) or control (n=10)) to collect feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy data. All participants will attend a day-long ChiWalk/Run training to help them avoid potential injuries and meet their coach and community in-person. All participants will also be asked to wear a FitBit accelerometer from one week before the beginning of the intervention through one week after the end of the intervention to collect total physical activity data. This data will be uploaded automatically to the study data base. Primary outcomes will be total physical activity as collected by the FitBit accelerometer (and the RunKeeper mobile app for the intervention group) and secondary outcomes will be changes in psychological factors that may mediate adherence to physical activity.