A randomized controlled trial of continuous activity, short bouts, and a 10,000 step guideline in inactive adults

Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the 10 K group showed the largest increase in step counts whereas the bouts group showed the smallest change over the intervention period, p = 0.01. Condition differences were most pronounced on days in which participants met their activity recommendation. Accelerometer results revealed that the 10 K (d = 1.1) and 30 min groups (d = 0.89) showed large increases in minutes of moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), whereas the bouts group showed minimal change (d = 0.11). Although activity recommendations did not differentially affect self-efficacy, participants from all conditions showed decreased self-efficacy across the intervention (p = 0.02), highlighting the need to develop strategies to increase self-efficacy in activity promotion efforts.