Shared joy in exercise may keep older adults moving
NCT ID NCT06071130
First seen Aug 28, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether making exercise a positive, social experience helps older adults stay active and improve their physical health. Researchers will offer an 8-week exercise program at Chicago parks and measure participants' motivation, physical function, and well-being before and after. The goal is to learn how to encourage older adults to exercise more consistently, which may protect against age-related decline.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Fit and Strong! exercise program
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how to design exercise programs that better motivate older adults to stay active, potentially improving their physical and cognitive health.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage behavioral study, not a drug trial. Results may not apply to all older adults, and the program's success depends on individual motivation and adherence.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 240 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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65 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Experiment 4A: We will follow the standard exclusion protocol used in previous Fit \& Strong! studies (e.g., Hughes et al., 2004; 2006). The participant's physician will be contacted for clearance to participate if they have a history of high blood pressure, or experience dizziness, lightheadedness, or chest pain or pressure during physical activities (walking, climbing stairs, and household chores, etc.) (see document: "E4\_NeedforPhysicianScreeningQuestionnaire.docx"). Additionally, physicians will be contacted if participants indicate that they fall, feel unsteady, or use an assistive walking or standing device. For these conditions and any special considerations that a participant may express, physicians will be contacted for clearance. Experiment 4B: Only participants who participated in Experiment 4A are eligible to participate in Experiment 4B. Exclusion Criteria: * Experiment 4A: We will follow the standard exclusion protocol used in previous Fit \& Strong! studies (e.g., Hughes et al., 2004; 2006). For instance, participants will be excluded for joint steroid injections within 3 months, knee or hip surgery within the previous 6 months or next year, rheumatoid arthritis or other systemic inflammatory arthritis, or uncontrolled diabetes. The participant's physician will be contacted for clearance to participate if they have a history of high blood pressure, or experience dizziness, lightheadedness, or chest pain or pressure during physical activities (walking, climbing stairs, and household chores, etc.) (see document: "E4\_NeedforPhysicianScreeningQuestionnaire.docx"). Additionally, physicians will be contacted if participants indicate that they fall, feel unsteady, or use an assistive walking or standing device. For these conditions and any special considerations that a participant may express, physicians will be contacted for clearance (see document: "StatementofMedicalClearanceforExercise.docx" and "CoverLetterforMedicalClearanceforExercise.docx"). Experiment 4B: Participants who did not participate in Experiment 4A are not eligible to participate in Experiment 4B.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois, 60614, United States
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