Effects of a Classroom-Based Program on Physical Activity and On-Task Behavior

Abstract

A classroom-based physical activity program was effective for increasing daily in-school physical activity and improving on-task behavior during academic instruction.

Exercising attention within the classroom

“…4 Also, there is evidence of aerobic fitness level moderating aspects of academic performance 5 and children exhibiting increased 'ontask' classroom behaviour after brief exercise interventions. 6 Increases in the amount of curriculum time devoted to physical activity have also been reported to result in either no change or an improvement in students' academic achievement, 7 suggesting that increased exercise capably counteracts the negative impact of reduced academic instruction time, perhaps through improving cognition.Given these findings, recent initiatives to encourage increased childhood physical activity 8 may have important implications for mental as well as physical health. In adults executive functions such as working memory, goal-oriented processing, and inhibition are particularly improved by exercise interventions.…”

Impact Of Coordinated-bilateral Physical Activities On Attention And Concentration In School-aged Children

“…Secondly, no additional teachers' training in CBPA breaks or researchers were needed to facilitate the CBPA breaks. In contrast, other classroombased PA breaks are required in-service training for the teachers [22,23]. Finally, the interruption to the child's academic learning was minimal, only six minutes.…”

“…A handful studies have examined the impact of classroombased PA breaks on attention and concentration quantitatively and qualitatively [3,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. The studies have shown that the classroom-based PA can improve children's attention and concentration [19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

“…The studies have shown that the classroom-based PA can improve children's attention and concentration [19][20][21][22][23][24]. In a study of implementing daily 10-minute physically active academic lessons (Energizers) to 62 third-and four-grade students for 12 weeks, Mahar et al [23] found significant increases in on-task behaviors (i.e., appropriate verbal or motor behaviors) from pre-Energizers treatment to post-Energizers treatment. Additionally, students in the energizer group took a significantly higher number of steps than the control group by the end of each day [23].…”

“…In a study of implementing daily 10-minute physically active academic lessons (Energizers) to 62 third-and four-grade students for 12 weeks, Mahar et al [23] found significant increases in on-task behaviors (i.e., appropriate verbal or motor behaviors) from pre-Energizers treatment to post-Energizers treatment. Additionally, students in the energizer group took a significantly higher number of steps than the control group by the end of each day [23]. Similarly, in a study of implementing a daily 10-15 minutes physically active lesson (Texas I-CAN) to thirdgrade students, researchers observed each student's time-ontask (TOT) within 15-minute before and after the physically 2 BioMed Research International active lesson and the inactive lesson (control) for 16-22 times [24].…”