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health psychology report • volume 6(1), 8 original article background To date, the majority of interventions have implemented classroom-based physical activity (PA) at the elementary level; however, there is both the potential and need to explore student outcomes at high-school level as well, given that very few studies have incorporated classroom-based PA interventions for adolescents. One exception has been the use of bicycle workstations within secondary classrooms. Using bicycle workstations in lieu of traditional chairs in a high school setting shows promise for enhancing adolescents' physical activity during the school day. participants and procedure The present study explored the effects of integrating bicycle workstations into a secondary classroom setting for four months in a sample of 115 adolescents using an A-B-A-B withdrawal design. The study took place in one Advanced Placement English classroom across five groups of students. Physical activity outcomes included average heart rate, and caloric expenditure. Behavioural outcomes included percentage of on-task/off-task behaviour and number of teacher prompts in redirecting off-task behaviour. Feasibility and acceptability data of using the bicycle workstations were also collected. results Findings showed significant improvements in physical activity as measured by heart rate and caloric expenditure, although heart rate percentage remained in the low intensity range when students were on the bicycle workstations. No effects were found on students' on-task behaviour when using the bicycle workstations. Overall, students found the bikes acceptable to use but noted disadvantages of them as well. conclusions Using bicycle workstations in high-school settings appears promising for enhancing low-intensity physical activity among adolescents. The limitations of the present study and implications for physical activity interventions in secondary schools are discussed.

health psychology report • volume 8(4),  original article background Classroom-based physical activity is a newly explored avenue for providing physical activity opportunities to children within the school, but it is one that is showing academic gains in areas such as on-task behavior. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of pedal desks placed in high school classrooms. Three main objectives were examined: 1) the possible increase in physical activity self-efficacy among high school students in the classroom, 2) the effectiveness of pedal desks on increased physical activity among high school students, and 3) the impact of pedal desks on increasing classroom on-task behavior. participants and procedure Participants included 114 high school students in a traditional high school setting. All of the students were enrolled in two Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) teachers' classrooms. The design was quasi-experimental. Two teachers and their respective classes were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. The study included a baseline and 2 waves. Researchers gathered demographic information of students, as well as pre-and post-data on self-efficacy and physical activity participation. On-task behavior of students was also recorded daily by researchers via momentary time sampling. results The results indicated significance for self-efficacy confidence but not barriers to physical activity participation. When examining whether self-efficacy could be connected to student heart rate, no significance was found. However, treatment students did improve their mean heart rates from baseline to treatment. This increase was significantly greater when compared to the control group. conclusions This study indicates that pedal desks may be one means for feasibly increasing light physical activity during the school day. This study suggests that self-efficacy for exercise can be increased and that light intensity physical activity levels may be raised through placing pedal desks in a high school classroom. Limitations are discussed.

Although the literature has predominantly focused on elementary youth, preliminary findings indicate that attentional benefits may arise from adolescent physical activity as well. Limited research has examined the impact of classroom-based physical activity for secondary students, and no research to date has explored bicycle workstations as a means to improve physical activity within the special education classroom. participants and procedureTwo special education resource classrooms within a high school took part in the research study. Students were given the option of riding on the bike or sitting on chairs in each classroom. Heart rate, calories, miles, time, and on-task behavior data were collected. In addition, student acceptability of bikes was explored. resultsThe results indicated that the overall mean heart rate during bike riding was significantly higher than the overall mean heart rate when seated on a traditional chair. Also a significant main effect was found for time on calories expended while riding. No significant results were found for miles or on-task behavior. conclusionsOverall, students enjoyed the use of bicycles during class, found the bicycle workstations to be beneficial to their learning, and appeared to note as many benefits as limitations with the bicycle workstations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

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