Feasibility of an Interval Running Exercise Program With Self-Regulated Unloading in Adults Aged 60 and Older

September 9, 2026 updated by: Franciszek Pietraszkiewicz, University in Zielona Góra

Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of an Exercise Model Based on Running Interval Training With Self-Regulated Unloading on Body Composition, Physical Fitness and Exercise Capacity, Muscle Strength, Pain Level, and Fall Risk in Adults Aged 60 and Older

This pilot study will evaluate whether a short, self-regulated interval exercise program is practical and safe for adults aged 60 and older. The program consists of short periods of running or walking in place, with rest periods between exercises, and allows participants to adjust the intensity to their individual abilities. The findings will help determine whether this type of exercise program is suitable for further research in larger studies.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Regular physical activity is important for maintaining health and physical function in older adults. However, conventional exercise programs may be difficult to perform because of limited mobility, joint pain, concerns about injury, or other individual barriers. Short bouts of exercise combined with individually regulated joint unloading may provide a practical and adaptable approach for older adults. This pilot feasibility study will evaluate a novel self-regulated interval exercise program designed for adults aged 60 to 80 years. The program is inspired by the concepts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and exercise snacks, but is adapted to the individual physical abilities of older adults.

The intervention will last 4 weeks. Assessments will include adherence and adverse events monitoring, body composition analysis by a bioelectrical impedance method, lower-extremity muscle strength assessment using the five times sit to stand test (FTSST), aerobic capacity assessment by 2-minute step in place test (2MST), pain intensity assessment using numerical rating scale (NRS), and fall risk assessment using timed up & go test (TUG).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Poland
    • Lubusz Voivodeship
      • Nowa Sól, Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland, 67-100
        • Wielospecjalistyczny Szpital Samodzielny Publiczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej w Nowej Soli

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age between 60-80 years
  • written consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • unstable angina
  • circulatory and respiratory failure
  • implanted metal materials (e.g. defibrillator, pacemaker, stent)
  • a mental disorder that makes it difficult to cooperate with medical personnel
  • inability to safely perform exercise at an exertion corresponding to rating of perceived exertion (RPE) ≥ 14 on the 6-20 Borg scale

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Running Interval Training
Behavioral: Running Interval Training
The intervention will last 4 weeks. Participants will perform four exercise sessions each day. Each session will consist of five 1-minute periods of running or walking in place, separated by 20-second rest periods. Gymnastic sticks will be used to allow participants to regulate the amount of weight placed through the lower extremities. Participants will be able to increase or decrease the amount of support provided by the sticks according to their individual needs and comfort, thereby self-regulating the unloading of the lower-extremity joints. The target exercise intensity corresponds to rating of perceived exertion (RPE) ≥ 14 on the 6-20 Borg scale
Other Names:
  • Interval Running Exercise Program

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Feasibility of the Exercise Program (proportion (%) of participants meeting the described feasibility criteria across 4 domains: adherence, retention, tolerability, and safety)
Time Frame: From baseline through post-intervention assessment following the 4-week intervention period
Feasibility will be assessed as the proportion (%) of participants meeting the following feasibility criteria across 4 domains: adherence, retention, tolerability, and safety. Adherence: % of participants completing ≥75% of prescribed training days (weekly training recordings). Green ≥75%, amber 50-74%, red <50%. Retention: % completing intervention and post-assessment. Green ≥80%, amber 60-79%, red <60%. Tolerability: % with worsening in strength (Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test), aerobic capacity (2-Minute Step Test), or pain (Numeric Rating Scale). Green ≤20%, amber 20-30%, red >30%. Safety: % reporting minor adverse events and number of serious adverse events (SAE) (medical records). Green <10% and no related SAE; amber 10-40% and no related SAE; red >40% or any related SAE. Overall feasibility: all domains green = feasible without modification; any amber with no red = feasible after modification; any red = not feasible and requires major modification and further feasibility testing.
From baseline through post-intervention assessment following the 4-week intervention period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University in Zielona Góra

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Franciszek Pietraszkiewicz, University of Zielona Góra

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 11, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 26, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 9, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • UZ/0015.37/2024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Participants provided consent for their data to be accessed by members of the research team to the extent necessary to conduct the study. Individual participant data will not be shared with researchers or other entities outside the research team.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Subscribe