The Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID) designed and experimentally evaluated the efficacy of the Forever Fit Program for the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi. This innovative behavioral intervention successfully nudged senior adults to engage in increased physical activity.
C-BID conducted a randomized controlled trial that estimated a remarkable 414% increase in daily activity among a cohort of initially physically inactive senior adults in Abu Dhabi. As highlighted by Professor Masood Badri (Advisor to the Chairman) and Her Excellency Dr. Layla Alhyas (Executive Director), the success of this intervention has led to the rollout of the program across the entire Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The Forever Fit Program was developed as a collaboration with the DCD and utilizes a practical approach to encourage seniors to exercise more. This initiative included the production of an original physical booklet containing simple exercise ideas, recognizing the lower levels of digital literacy among the elderly population in Abu Dhabi.
Additionally, C-BID achieves an impactful increase in physical activity levels, with findings indicating a potential enhancement of life expectancy by two years and a reduction in mortality rates by 18% among the least active participants.
Before our intervention, these individuals were averaging less than five minutes of exercise per day. After the intervention, they now engage in 15 minutes a day—tripling their activity.
Co-Director
The Forever Fit Program exemplifies how thoughtfully designed behavioral interventions can create significant improvements in health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Through careful analysis and targeted strategies, C-BID continues to advance the well-being of senior adults in Abu Dhabi, setting a precedent for future initiatives in the region.
We conducted a very careful diagnosis of the population we aimed to assist, which allowed us to design a program specifically addressing the causes of low physical activity.
Co-Principal Investigator
Co-Director C-BID
Co-PI C-BID
Researcher
Researcher
Researcher
© Center for Behavioral Institutional Design, 2025.
