Danielle Ostendorf is an Assistant Professor joining Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies (KRSS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Professor Ostendorf’s research focuses on a physical activity program for adults with overweight or obesity that aims to establish enjoyable forms of exercise and movement to promote the longevity and sustainability of physical activity.
Meeting People Where They Are
Professor Ostendorf got her inspiration for this program from several years of experience working on large-scale behavioral weight loss trials. She worked with participants 1-on-1 to help them increase their exercise levels and conducted research to better understand behavior change over the long term. One of her studies found that over the first 6 months of an intervention that involved calorie restriction and supervised exercise, participants lost weight and increased their levels of physical activity. However, when participants were asked to exercise on their own without supervision over the next 6-12 months many had reverted to their baseline weight and physical activity levels from when they first joined the study.
Professor Ostendorf learned that the current paradigm for changing exercise behavior wasn’t working long-term for people and sought to design a more effective program. From her experience and research, she learned about the importance of exercise enjoyment. Thus, the program she designed focuses on meeting people where they are through four main physical activity messages:
- All movement counts, and it all adds up.
- Move in ways that feel good, and stop moving in ways that feel bad.
- You’re a mover, and moving is part of your identity.
- Movement is self-care. By moving more, you are taking better care of yourself.
By counting all forms of movement—whether it’s unloading the dishwasher or taking the stairs instead of the elevator—the notion of “all or nothing” is eliminated. People feel empowered and encouraged to move in ways that make their bodies feel good, rather than adhering to a scheduled workout that feels unpleasant.
People’s priorities differ, but almost all of them can benefit from movement. Whether it’s playing with your kids or seeking better sleep, movement is beneficial. Additionally, movement is self-care—a reality that Professor Ostendorf believes shouldn’t cause feelings of guilt. By taking care of oneself, energy levels increase, stress and anxiety decrease, and overall health improves – and people are better able to do things that matter to them the most – like taking care of their families, their jobs, etc.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) K01 Grant
To aid her research, Professor Ostendorf was awarded a K01 grant by the NIH. Through this grant, she is able to use the dissemination and implementation (D&I) science to close the gap between research and practice. Professor Ostendorf is also receiving training in how to conduct human clinical trials including how to screen, recruit, and retain participants in order to answer a research question.
Professor Ostendorf is also learning how to optimize the intervention by examining individual components, how these components work with each participant, and what specific components are needed to address each participant’s unique needs. By employing D&I science, she focuses on translating research findings into practical applications that can be effectively integrated into clinical settings.
By continuously iterating on her methods and seeking feedback from participants, Professor Ostendorf aims to refine her intervention, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes and a stronger bridge between research and practice in the field. “The hope is that we can design this program so that people want to participate in it, providers can feasibly deliver it, and organizational leaders are excited to adopt it.”