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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Physical Activity: Classroom-based Physical Activity Break Interventions

About this resource:

Systematic Review

Source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services

Last Reviewed: August 2021

Workgroups: Physical Activity Workgroup, Adolescent Health Workgroup

Classroom-based physical activity breaks are structured breaks between academic lessons when a teacher directs a bout of physical activity. The Community Preventive Services Task Force conducted a systematic review of the evidence and recommends classroom-based physical activity break interventions based on findings that this intervention increases the amount of time primary school students engage in physical activity. The recommended break interventions:

  • Involve moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
  • Range from 4 to 10 minutes in length
  • Include training for teachers
  • May include additional resources to engage students in physical activity
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Objectives related to this resource (2)

Increase the proportion of children who do enough aerobic physical activity — PA‑09
Getting worse
Increase the proportion of adolescents who do enough aerobic physical activity — PA‑06
Getting worse

Suggested Citation

1.

Guide to Community Preventive Services. (2021). Physical Activity: Classroom-based Physical Activity Break Interventions. Retrieved from https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/physical-activity-classroom-based-physical-activity-break-interventions.