Move Often Every Day: short, workday exercise breaks for receptionist office staff

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

NIH-funded research Stanford University · NIH-11129800

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 typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionStanford University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Stanford, United States)
Project IDNIH-11129800 on NIH RePORTER

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.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are adult (21+) receptionist or front-desk office staff who spend long periods sitting and can use a smartphone and a Fitbit.

Not a fit: People with significant mobility limitations, jobs that cannot accommodate short activity breaks, or those already meeting activity guidelines may not receive benefit.

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 performed: 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, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.