Veterans try exercise and social events to ease return to civilian life
NCT ID NCT03152214
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a program combining vigorous aerobic exercise and community events can help veterans who recently left the military adjust to civilian life. Sixty veterans who reported difficulty reintegrating were asked to exercise three times a week and attend group activities. Researchers measured changes in reintegration difficulties and how acceptable the program was to participants.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Vigorous intensity aerobic exercise and community engagement events
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, non-drug program to help veterans adjust to civilian life after deployment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early study with only 60 participants and no control group, so results may not be generalizable. It also requires access to an iPhone and willingness to exercise vigorously.
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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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60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2017
- Finished
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May 2019
- 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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18 years and older
- 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: * OEF/OIF/OND veteran * Discharged from the US Army within/up to 12 months ago * Endorse at least moderate difficulty with reintegration (a total score of at least 1.5 on the M2C-Q and a score of 2 on item #14) * Use or have access to an Apple iPhone * Has participated in less than 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week over the last two weeks * Understanding and willingness to comply to a 9-week study protocol Exclusion Criteria: * Condition or injury which would prevent exercise\* * Insufficient command of the English language Each veteran will complete the PAR-Q as part of the screening procedure in order to check for any condition/injury which would render exercise harmful. Each veteran will also have undergone a routine physical with medical staff prior to discharge from the U.S. Army. Thus, the veteran should have knowledge of a condition or injury which could be problematic. If such a risk is present, the veteran will be excluded from the study. Veterans will be excluded if a doctor has said that they have a heart condition and should not do physical activity or if they know of any other reason why they should not engage in physical activity. Veterans who are unsure if they are able to engage in physical activity will have to have signed approval from a physical.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas, 78712, United States