The Effect of Exercise Intensity on Adherence

Since the majority of the population is inactive, this study is being done to develop a better strategy that might encourage people to exercise more and improve their health. The current physical activity guidelines suggest that adults aged 18-64 should perform at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week . However, 84% of the Canadian population is insufficiently active. The large percentage of inactive individuals may be due to the daunting expectation that individuals must exercise for long periods of time to achieve health benefits, and many individuals report not having enough time. However, studies have shown that exercising for short, repeated bouts of intense exercise resulted in improved cardiometabolic health to the same extent as traditional endurance training, despite lower exercise volume. One study found that the prescription for a higher frequency of exercise significantly increased the accumulation of exercise without a negative effect on adherence. Further, in another study, participants who performed short intense bouts of physical activity have shown greater adherence than participants who were performing traditional exercise, working at a moderate intensity for a prolonged exercise period (89% and 71%, respectively). None of the studies mentioned above examined time matched exercise groups and included varying intensities of exercise, and collected data through virtual means, mimicking the natural environment of participants. The investigators believe that the proposed study will address these concerns and therefore advance the knowledge of sprint interval training.