Personalized program to reduce exercise anxiety during cardiac rehabilitation
A tailored exposure intervention targeting exercise anxiety and avoidance in cardiac rehabilitation
This program helps people in cardiac rehab overcome fear of exercise so they can be more active and stick with their workouts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Piscataway, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11142595 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, you would work with therapists who use a cognitive-behavioral, exposure-based approach called BE-FIT to gently retrain your response to the physical sensations of exercise (like shortness of breath or chest tightness). The program builds tolerance to those sensations through guided, gradual practice during outpatient cardiac rehabilitation and uses activity monitors to track daily movement. This R01 expands on a Stage I pilot that showed initial promise in low-active patients with high exercise anxiety. Sessions are delivered alongside usual cardiac rehab care and emphasize real-world practice and home activity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults enrolled in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation who feel anxious or avoid exercise because of heart-related sensations and are able to attend sessions and do gradual activity practice.
Not a fit: People without exercise-related anxiety, those who cannot safely exercise due to unstable cardiac conditions, or those unable to attend the program sessions are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help patients stick with exercise plans, increase daily physical activity, and improve heart-related function and quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: A prior Stage I pilot of BE-FIT showed initial support in low-active cardiac rehab patients, but using exposure for exercise anxiety in this setting remains relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Piscataway, United States
- Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. — Piscataway, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Farris, Samantha Gwen — Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j.
- Study coordinator: Farris, Samantha Gwen
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 below.