Energy Expenditure And Enjoyment Of Instructor-led Exercise Videos For Children

PURPOSE: The Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity (InPACT) at Home intervention provides youth with access to instructor-led exercise videos to promote physical activity. While this program has had statewide reach, there is a need to understand the efficacy of the exercise videos to (1) induce cardiometabolic benefits in youth and (2) promote exercise adherence. The purpose of this study was to compare the short-term effects of the InPACT at Home exercise videos on physical activity energy expenditure and enjoyment in children. METHODS: Thirty-five participants ages 7-13 years were recruited to participate in this study. Participants completed one, 8-minute sedentary control video, and five, 8-minute InPACT at Home exercise videos (cardio, strength, sports skills, and mindfulness). Physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) was assessed using indirect calorimetry. Physical activity enjoyment was assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. Pairwise t-tests were used to compare average PAEE and enjoyment between video types and between each video type and the control. RESULTS: Significant differences in PAEE were observed between the control video and exercise videos, with exercise videos eliciting a higher PAEE (9.55 ± 0.37 vs 23.01 ± 0.72 kcal, p < 0.0001). The highest PAEE was recorded during the cardio videos (24.82 ± 1.04 kcal), followed by the strength (23.35 ± 1.2 kcal), sports skills (21.23 ± 0.93 kcal), and mindfulness (19.94 ± 0.94 kcal) videos with significantly greater PAEE observed in each video type compared to the control (p’s < 0.0001). The cardio videos resulted in significantly greater PAEE compared to the mindfulness videos (24.8 ± 1.04 vs 19.94 ± 0.94 kcal, p = 0.0002). There were no significant differences in enjoyment between video types or between each video type and the control video (p's > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children expended approximately 23 kcals while engaging in the InPACT at Home videos and rated all of the exercise videos as enjoyable. If InPACT at Home videos produce a short-term energy deficit, repeated engagement may have important implications for pediatric weight management over time. These findings highlight the potential of the InPACT at Home intervention to provide sustainable opportunities for youth to engage in health-enhancing physical activity at home. This work is supported by the Rackham Doctoral Research Fellowship