Group telehealth exercise for Veterans
Official title: Expanding Exercise Programming for Veterans Through Telehealth
Funded at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System · NIH-11193217 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares group video exercise sessions with booster sessions plus supportive text messages versus text messages alone to help Veterans start and keep up with regular exercise.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2HX003053-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193217 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adult Veterans who receive care through the VA, are ambulatory but currently inactive or trying to maintain an exercise routine, and can use videoconferencing and text messages.
✕Less likely to help
People without reliable internet or a device for video visits, those with medical contraindications to exercise, or those unable to participate in group telehealth are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you are a Veteran who has trouble getting to in-person exercise, this project offers group exercise sessions over video plus text-message support to help you begin and continue exercising. The program is split into an initiation phase to get people started and a maintenance phase to help them keep going. Some participants will receive group telehealth booster sessions plus texts while others will receive text messages only, and the team will compare how workable and acceptable each approach is. The program is run through the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System and focuses on improving access and social support for Veterans, especially older adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for Veterans to start and stick with exercise, improving management of chronic conditions and access to care.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows exercise and telehealth programs can help people with chronic conditions, but no prior studies have directly compared group telehealth booster sessions plus text messaging versus text messaging alone for exercise maintenance.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abbate, Lauren M — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Abbate, Lauren M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.