Substance Use and Fitness
Substance Abuse, Exercise
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Substance Abuse
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- age 55 - 75 years
- currently not physically active
- willing and physically able as determined by physician approval to walk 10,000 steps per day
- blood pressure of 120-159 mmHg systolic or 80-99 mmHg diastolic
- willing to meet with research staff weekly for 12 weeks
Exclusion Criteria:
- psychiatric or physical illness that could interfere with participation
Sites / Locations
- University of Connecticut Health Center
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
No Intervention
Experimental
walking recommendations
contingency management for walking
Participants assigned to this condition will be instructed to wear a pedometer daily and scheduled for weekly meetings over for the next 12 weeks. Each week, they will be congratulated if they walked the target goal on any days, and encouraged to meet the goals for the upcoming week. However, they will not receive any tangible reinforcement for walking. The meetings will be brief (about 15 minutes) and will include discussions and handouts related to the health benefits of walking.
Participants assigned to this condition will be asked to wear a pedometer daily and scheduled for weekly meetings over for the next 12 weeks. The meeting duration and structure will be similar to that in the standard treatment condition including the handouts, with one exception. Participants in this condition will earn tangible reinforcement in the form of prizes for walking the target number of steps per day.