Between October 18–21, this website will move to a new web address (from health.gov to odphp.health.gov). During that time, some functions might not work as expected. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we’re working to make this transition as smooth as possible.

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
Read more about this resource

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.