Table 3 Recommendations arising from this study to inform development of an RCT

1.

Review recruitment strategy, particularly the variety of recruitment routes and the content of promotional materials.

2.

Include in the protocol a plan to investigate reasons for any withdrawals from study and implications for eligibility criteria and/or intervention design.

3.

Enhance intervention fidelity through additional briefing and formative evaluation of trainers, to ensure a focus on intervention essentials.

4.

Consider use of objective measures of exercise behaviour, including accelerometry, in evaluation of intervention process and outcomes.

5.

Investigate the range of psychological impacts of participation through quantitative outcome measures and qualitative enquiry.