Move Often Every Day: short, workday exercise breaks for receptionist office staff
Official title: Move Often eVery Day (MOV'D): An occupationally-tailored, remotely-delivered, socially-supported short exercise break intervention to decrease sedentary behavior in receptionist office staff
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11129800 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers a remote, work-tailored program of 2–5 minute 'exercise snacks' plus social support to help receptionist office staff who sit a lot move more during the day.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | August 11, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $231,600 |
| NIH project number | 5R34HL166858-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11129800 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adult (21+) receptionist or front-desk office staff who spend long periods sitting and can use a smartphone and a Fitbit.
✕Less likely to help
People with significant mobility limitations, jobs that cannot accommodate short activity breaks, or those already meeting activity guidelines may not receive benefit.
What this research studies
You would get short videos that teach easy 2–5 minute exercise breaks tailored to front-desk work, plus behavior-change text messages and access to a private social support group and peer-coach feature. The program is delivered remotely and compares the full MOV’D package to a Fitbit-only control to see which helps people interrupt prolonged sitting. This R34 pilot will user-test the tools and measure acceptability, feasibility, and signals of benefit before a larger trial. Participation focuses on practical, brief activity breaks people can do during the workday.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help reduce prolonged sitting and increase short bursts of activity, which may lower cardiovascular risk for sedentary office workers.
How similar studies have gone: Small prior studies and a related proof-of-concept trial showed short activity prompts can increase steps, but long-term maintenance of effects remains uncertain.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oppezzo, Marily — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Oppezzo, Marily
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Momentum+ for Older Cancer Survivors: A mobile program to boost activity and reduce sitting
A new mobile program for older cancer survivors uses a stepwise plan and self-determination theory to help people move more and sit less, with support from wearables and caregiver partners.
-
Pregnancy activity, sitting, and sleep and how they affect baby health
This project looks at how a pregnant person's daily activity, time spent sitting, and sleep relate to their child's weight and heart health during the first two years of life.
-
Sedentary behavior and heart health in young women
A study in young women will look at how sitting for long periods affects heart health and whether reducing sitting could lower future cardiovascular risk.
-
How preschoolers' screen habits affect sleep, activity, and emotions
This project learns how the timing, type, and patterns of screen use in 3–5 year olds relate to their sleep, physical activity, and social-emotional health.
-
Sitting time and Alzheimer's risk in middle-aged and older adults
This project looks at whether spending more time sitting is linked to worse brain health and higher Alzheimer's risk in middle-aged and older adults.
-
How sedentary behavior and sleep affect heart health during pregnancy
This study is looking at how sitting too much and sleep habits affect heart health during pregnancy, especially for women who might face issues like high blood pressure, and it aims to help improve health for moms and their babies.
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.