Personalized program to reduce exercise anxiety during cardiac rehabilitation
Official title: A tailored exposure intervention targeting exercise anxiety and avoidance in cardiac rehabilitation
Funded at Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. · NIH-11142595 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | August 15, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $509,629 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG070136-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142595 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Helping older adults overcome exercise anxiety during cardiac rehabilitation
This study is all about helping older adults with heart issues who feel anxious about exercising, by using a friendly program that helps them get more comfortable with physical activity so they can stick to their exercise routines and improve their heart health.
-
Doula support to improve mood and anxiety health for rural mothers
A rural-focused program tests whether birth doulas can boost confidence, support, and maternal health for new mothers with mood and anxiety concerns.
-
Understanding how heavy drinking and anxiety relate in emerging adults
This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
-
INOCA-mobile heart rehab for angina and breathlessness
A mobile health-based cardiac rehabilitation program is being tested to help people with INOCA feel better and move more.
-
Molecular and brain circuits linked to anxiety disorders
A researcher is studying a specific brain circuit to understand what drives anxiety and how it could be treated for people with anxiety disorders.
-
Expressive Writing to Help Sexual Minority Veterans with Depression and Anxiety
A brief writing program to help sexual minority veterans feel less depression and anxiety.
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.