A Behavioral Program to Reduce Exercise Anxiety and Improve Exercise in Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients Aged 40 and Older

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate a behavioral intervention called Behavioral Exposure for Interoceptive Tolerance BE-FIT designed to reduce exercise anxiety in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. The study is a Stage II randomized-controlled trial involving individuals aged 40 and older who have elevated exercise anxiety and are enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program. The goal is to determine whether BE-FIT improves exercise adherence and to understand the mechanisms behind any changes in physical activity behavior. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups the BE-FIT intervention group or a health education control HEC group. BE-FIT includes six 45-minute individual sessions over three weeks, focusing on exposure to feared bodily sensations and exercise, preventing safety behaviors around exercise, and using a wrist-worn activity monitor Fitbit for feedback and goal setting. The HEC group receives time-matched educational sessions on healthy aging topics and also uses the Fitbit for monitoring physical activity but without set activity goals. Over 24 weeks, participants will engage in six sessions delivered twice weekly alongside their cardiac rehabilitation program. Data collection includes five assessments at baseline, end of treatment, and follow-ups at weeks 12, 18, and 24. Researchers will measure overall exercise minutes, attendance at cardiac rehabilitation, and daily steps. The study involves monitoring through questionnaires, Fitbit data, and clinical supervision to assess changes in exercise anxiety and adherence.

Behavioral Exposure for Introceptive Tolerance RCT