Elementary school classroom physical activity breaks: student, teacher, and facilitator perspectives

Current physical activity (PA) guidelines recommend that children accumulate at least 60 min of PA each day, and that adults should collaborate across sectors to increase opportunities for PA. Implementing brief classroom PA breaks (CPABs) is one way to help increase daily PA. The primary purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of a 14-wk CPAB program among elementary school children, in the first through fourth grades ( n = 254), at a suburban elementary school, and their teachers ( n = 18). The CPAB program was implemented by university exercise science students, and student and teacher perceptions were assessed through surveys. The children reported that the CPABs were very fun (86%), provided them with a nice break during the school day (88%), were very good for their health (94%), helped them feel more ready to learn (71%), and learn better (50%). The teachers reported that the students really enjoyed the CPABs (100%), that encouraging students to be physically active was either very important (83%) or important (17%), and that they were either very confident (72%) or confident (28%) that they themselves could lead the CPABs. No teacher reported that the CPABs hindered classroom learning. CPABs appear to be enjoyable to both students and teachers, easy to administer, and supportive of learning. Recommendations for improvements within the present collaboration were minimal and could be easily addressed with firmer entrenchment of the program. This collaboration was beneficial and fun for the vast majority involved, and others are urged to implement similar programs.

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Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity During Physical Education, Recess, and Class Time Among Elementary School Children in Qatar

Journal of Teaching in Physical Education ◽

10.1123/jtpe.2018-0351 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Lena Zimmo ◽

Fuad Almudahka ◽

Izzeldin Ibrahim ◽

Mohamed G. Al-kuwari ◽

Abdulaziz Farooq

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Elementary School ◽

Physical Education ◽

School Children ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Class Time ◽

School Based ◽

School Day

Purpose: Schools provide opportunities for children to accumulate recommended daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This study aimed to determine physical activity (PA) across the school day among elementary school children in Qatar. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 181 Grade 1 (5.8 ± 0.4 years) and Grade 4 (9.0 ± 0.5 years) children. Participants wore wrist-based accelerometers for 5 days to assess school-based PA. MVPA during physical education, recess, and class time were compared across sex, grade, and body mass index using general linear models. Results: Only 39.0% of this cohort met the recommended 30 min of MVPA during school hours. Fewer girls (23.2%) than boys (58.1%) achieved the school-based PA guidelines (p < .001). The children engaged in 19.0 ± 12.3%, 19.3 ± 8.6%, and 6.2 ± 3.4% of the designated physical education, recess, and class time in MVPA, respectively. Conclusion: Elementary school children in Qatar engage in inadequate MVPA during the school day, especially girls. Enhancing PA opportunities during physical education and recess is crucial.

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Creating a Scalable Physical Activity Breaks Resource Through the Multisensory Multilevel Health Education Model: H.Y.P.E. The Breaks!

Health Promotion Practice ◽

10.1177/1524839921996348 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. 101S-110S

Author(s):

Ewelina M. Swierad ◽

Lori Rose Benson ◽

Olajide Williams

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Education ◽

Hip Hop ◽

Classroom Behavior ◽

Physically Active ◽

School Day ◽

Current Article ◽

Education Model ◽

Program Components ◽

Children’S Physical Activity

Physically active children have lower rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and depression than their inactive counterparts, and further evidence suggests that integrating physical activity breaks into the school day improves children’s classroom behavior, fitness, and cognitive functions. The current article focuses on the development and implementation of free, scalable, short activity breaks called H.Y.P.E. The Breaks! (Helping Young People Energize)—a series of 2-, 6-, and 10-minute-long dance and hip-hop–based physical activity videos, which can be used in the classroom or at home. H.Y.P.E. The Breaks! is deconstructed through the lens of the multisensory multilevel health education model, which leverages art, culture, and science in the design and implementation of health programs, and highlights the importance of framing and operationalizing program components across the different behavioral levels of influence of the socioecological model. The article also discusses the uptake of H.Y.P.E. The Breaks! during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, when major declines in children’s physical activity were observed.

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Validation of Interviewer-Assisted Recall for Measuring Minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Elementary School Children, Grades 3 and 5

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.jneb.2015.12.001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 152-156.e1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marsha Dowda ◽

Russell R. Pate ◽

Kerry L. McIver ◽

Suzanne D. Baxter ◽

Dawn K. Wilson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Elementary School ◽

School Children ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity

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Developmental relations between motivation types and physical activity in elementary school children (1)

Swiss Sports & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.34045/ssem/2019/30 ◽

2019 ◽

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Elementary School ◽

Physical Education ◽

Measurement Invariance ◽

School Children ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Growth Models ◽

Developmental Trajectories ◽

Autonomous Motivation ◽

Multiple Group

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to observe the developmental trajectories of motivation types among young children from 8 to 12 years using a more comprehensive scale of physical education motivation. We also tested the relations between these trajectories and objective physical activity during this period. Design: Students in grades 5–7 (n=1202; 51.2% boys) were recruited from 17 elementary schools. Three cohorts completed the motivation questionnaire four times and objective physical activity was measured up to four times over a two years school period. Method: Measurement invariance of the scale was tested across cohorts and occasions. Multiple group multiple cohort growth models were estimated to determine motivation types trajectories. Regression models were then built to predict children’s slope of MVPA during this period. Results: We provided strong measurement invariance to a new and more comprehensive scale of PE motivation. Latent growth curve modeling indicated trajectories that decrease on average for all forms of motivations at this early age. Results also revealed some relations between motivation’s scores and objective physical activity trajectories, especially with autonomous motivation. Conclusions: Our study revealed the earliest decline of motivation towards physical education to have ever been highlighted in elementary school children. Relations between trajectory of intrinsic stimulation and PA behavior permitted us to highlight the possible role of autonomous motivation in minimizing the decline of children’s PA behavior during PE lesson.

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Can Physical Activity Moderate the Relationship between School Related Stress and Health Complaints among Japanese Elementary School Children

International Journal of Sport and Health Science ◽

10.5432/ijshs.4.265 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 265-272 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Minoru Takakura ◽

Minoru Kobayashi ◽

Masaya Miyagi ◽

Hisamitu Kobashigawa ◽

Tanekatsu Kato

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Elementary School ◽

School Children ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Health Complaints ◽

Related Stress ◽

The Relationship ◽

Stress And Health

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Promotion of physical activity among children

Forum for Idræt ◽

10.7146/ffi.v31i0.109037 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 09-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Charlotte Skau Pawlowski ◽

Jasper Schipperijn ◽

Scott Duncan ◽

Jens Troelsen

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

New Zealand ◽

Field Study ◽

Physically Active ◽

School Day ◽

Promotion Of Physical Activity ◽

School Recess

New Zealand children are much more physically active during the school day than Danish children. As school recess is a large contributor to children’s overall level of physical activity, the aim of this study was to identify possible physical activity-promoting recess practices at New Zealand schools transferrable to Danish schools. The study was conducted as an ethnographic field study using participant observations and informal field talks with children and school workers at five New Zealand schools. On the basis of our findings we suggest Danish schools should further support physical activity initiatives by implementing physical activity-promoting recess initiatives.

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Active School Lesson Breaks Increase Daily Vigorous Physical Activity, but Not Daily Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Elementary School Boys

Pediatric Exercise Science ◽

10.1123/pes.2016-0057 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 145-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Andrew N. Wilson ◽

Timothy Olds ◽

Kurt Lushington ◽

Somayeh Parvazian ◽

James Dollman

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Elementary School ◽

Elementary School Students ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Classroom Behaviors ◽

School Students ◽

Type Method ◽

Modest Increase ◽

School Day ◽

And Control

Purpose:Brief classroom-based episodes of physical activity (active lesson breaks, ALBs) have improved schoolchildren’s classroom behaviors in some studies, and may also increase the likelihood of children meeting the recommended daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). However, there is emerging evidence that increases in physical activity at particular times of the day may lead to compensatory declines at other times. This study explored evidence for compensatory declines in response to a 10 min ALB during the school day.Method:Thirty-eight 12-year-old boys from a single elementary school completed intervention and control conditions in a cross-over design, with each phase lasting one week. The intervention consisted of a single 10-min active lesson break delivered on each of three days in the intervention week. Twenty-four hour accelerometry was used to quantify moderate and vigorous physical activity.Results:ALBs increased in-school MVPA by 5.8 min (p < .0001), but overall daily MVPA was similar between intervention and control conditions (77.2 vs 77.4 min/d, p > .05), However, vigorous physical activity increased significantly over the whole day (11.2 vs 8.9 min, p = .0006).Conclusion:A brief episode of classroom-based play led to a modest increase in vigorous physical activity in elementary school students, but did not increase MVPA across the day.

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