The Impact of Physically Active Brain Breaks on College Students’ Activity Levels and Perceptions

Abstract

A majority of adults in the United States do not attain the recommended 2.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each week. This is precipitated by an increased amount of time spent in environments that inhibit movement and promote sedentary behaviors -at work, at home, and in cars. College-aged students (18-29) also engage in a greater amount of sedentary behaviors as they encounter a transitional period in life where many begin making independent lifestyle choices for the first time. Despite the trend towards physical inactivity, higher education provides the ideal platform to develop and employ methods that can impact students' physical activity behaviors. Thus, this study compared the effect of physically active brain breaks in a college classroom on college students' physical activity levels to students who did not participate in physically active brain breaks. An embedded sequential mixed methods design was utilized wherein quantitative data was collected via pedometers during class, while student interviews provided qualitative data to assist the researchers in understanding participants perceptions within the experimental intervention. Results indicated that participants (n = 65) who participated in physically active brain breaks acquired a higher daily step count average, compared to participants (n = 52) who did not participate in physically active brain breaks. Three themes emerged from the interviews that suggest students' experiences with physically active brain breaks were compellingly positive and their perceptions revealed that (1) experience is essential; (2) variety is key; and physically active brain breaks are (3) engaging for all.

Stand up, stand out. Feasibility of an active break targeting prolonged sitting in university students

“…Enjoyment and social engagement were similarly valued by university students in an earlier active break trial, particularly in the lecture setting which is often viewed as a restrained environment. 8 Post-intervention benefits of improved alertness and energy levels were reported in the student feedback, mirroring the positive responses of school-age students and employees to similar active break interventions within other settings. 18,21 As uninterrupted lecture-based sitting is associated with self-reported sleepiness in students, activities of a physically active nature that result in a boost of energy and improved mental alertness are likely to positively influence perceptions of the intervention.…”

“…7 Lecture attendance and study activities predominantly take place while sitting, and many of the recent technological advances designed to enhance the ease of study have also inadvertently acted as a catalyst for increased levels of sedentary behavior. 8 Accelerometer data shows that university students spend between 9 and 11 h a day in sedentary behavior, significantly higher than that of the general young adult population, with over 80% of students reported to sit for entire lecture periods. 7,[9][10][11][12] The university setting is therefore an important environment for interventions targeting sedentary behavior in this population.…”

“…13 The majority of healthy behavior campaigns in universities focus on healthy lifestyle habits, however, usually do not include reducing sedentary behavior as a specific component. 8 Research has found that integrating exercise into the curriculum may facilitate a reduction in sedentary behavior of university students. 14 However, very little evidence exists on the types of interventions that would successfully encourage university students to sit less and move more.…”

“…16 In line with such recommendations, the active break is a short mental and physical break which incorporates brief bouts of physical activity into daily routines. 8,17 Previous research has focused primarily on the effect of active breaks in schools and workplaces. 18,19 In schools, active breaks have been found to have positive effects on physical activity levels of children, increasing the time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, as well as step count.…”

“…25 There is some limited evidence to suggest that an intervention such as an active break is well received by college students and can influence trends toward a higher daily step count average. 8 Although demonstrated as a feasible, costeffective, and enjoyable intervention within the school classroom and workplace, the feasibility of an active break in a university lecture setting is yet to be quantitatively assessed.…”