Acceptability and Impact of Office-Based Resistance Exercise Breaks

Background Breaking up sedentary behavior with standing or walking can decrease discomfort, fatigue, and sleepiness. However, less is known about acceptability and impact of resistance exercise breaks on these outcomes. Therefore, we evaluated the acceptability of resistance exercise breaks and their influence on discomfort, physical and mental fatigue, and sleepiness during occupational sitting. Methods Workers completed two 4-hour conditions in random order: prolonged sitting (SIT) and sitting with hourly resistance exercise breaks (REX). All outcomes were measured at baseline and every hour thereafter with five total breaks. Linear mixed models evaluated overall condition effects and differences at each hour. Cohen’s d estimated magnitudes of effect. Acceptability was assessed via questionnaire after the REX condition and reported as percentages. Findings Fourteen adults (age: 53.4 ± 9.5 years, body mass index [BMI]: 30.9 ± 4.8 kg/m2) were enrolled. Although ratings of discomfort, fatigue, and sleepiness were typically lower during REX as compared with SIT, overall outcomes were not significantly different between conditions ( p > .05). However, a significant reduction in mental fatigue at hour 4 in favor of the REX condition (β = −0.48 log-points, p < .05, d = 0.37) was observed. Program acceptability questions revealed the majority (>50%) of participants reported a “4” or “5” on a 5-point Likert-type scale for all questions, indicating high acceptability for implementation. Conclusions/Application to Practice Resistance exercise breaks had high acceptability and provided preliminary evidence of improving ratings of mental fatigue. More research is needed to better understand the role of resistance training to reduce sedentary behavior.

Students’ attention in class: patterns, perceptions of cause and a tool for measuring classroom quality of life

Constructs such as engagement and FLOW have been well-developed and studied in education contexts. Sustained attention, a distinct but related concept, has been less studied, particularly in the language classroom and foreign language medium education. In a case study involving mixed methods, predominantly structured qualitative data, student attention was measured repeatedly during a university pre-sessional EAP course. The aim was to compare with previous research on the relationship between attention and time/stages of lessons and reveal any additional attention patterns based on interaction types (group work, individual work, full class). In addition, repeated surveys were used to reveal what students perceived as damaging to attention and also the perceived value of exercise breaks. Results suggested significance in attention changes over time and between teacher talking time, group work and individual interaction types. The study design itself forms a simple and effective tool to improve classroom life including teachers’ monitoring of class dynamics and for students, a means of self-reflection to increase learning performance.

Sweat so you don’t forget: Establishing the feasibility of exercise breaks during university lectures

It is critical that principles of laboratory-based studies with implications for academic performance be tested in naturalistic learning environments to gauge their feasibility. In a study by Fenesi, B., Lucibello, K., Kim, J. A., &amp; Heisz, J. J. (2018), research participants were assigned to an aerobic exercise, video game playing, or lecture as usual group while watching a single, videotaped on-line lecture. Participants in the exercise group were more likely to be on task towards the end of the lecture and performed significantly better on a multiple choice exam compared to the other groups. In the current article, the laboratory approach by Fenesi et al. is adapted to establish the feasibility of integrating student-led exercise breaks during a 80 min in-person lecture in a large university setting. Practical guidelines for implementation are provided. The approach was implemented at The Ohio State University for the duration of the semester in three courses: two upper level Health Psychology undergraduate courses with enrollments of 93 and 73 students and a combined undergraduate/graduate course in Cognitive Aging with 13 undergraduate and 7 graduate students. Overall, based on anonymous qualitative feedback from students and peer evaluators, the exercise breaks were reported to be a strength of the course and a positive experience. The current approach establishes the feasibility of integrating exercise breaks in a large, in-person university lecture environment for the duration of a semester.

Acute cardiometabolic effects of interrupting sitting with resistance exercise breaks

Interrupting prolonged sitting with light activity breaks, such as short walks, improves cardiometabolic outcomes, yet less is known about the impact of resistance exercise breaks. This study examined the effects of hourly, guidelines-based simple resistance exercise breaks on acute cardiometabolic health outcomes over a simulated work period. Fourteen adults (age: 53.4 ± 9.5 years, body mass index: 30.9 ± 4.8 kg/m2) completed 2 randomized 4-h conditions: prolonged sitting (SIT) and hourly resistance exercise breaks (REX). Glucose, triglycerides, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured at baseline and then hourly. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured before and after each condition. Linear mixed models evaluated overall condition effects and differences at each hour. Cohen’s d estimated magnitude of effects. Four-hour glucose area under the curve (AUC) did not differ by condition (REX vs. SIT: β = –0.35 mmol/L, p = 0.278, d = 0.51). However, an attenuation of postprandial glucose at 1 h (β = –0.69 mg/dL, p = 0.004, d = 1.02) in REX compared with SIT was observed. Triglyceride AUC, mean blood pressure, and PWV did not differ significantly between REX and SIT overall or any time point (all p > 0.05). Heart rate was higher across the experimental period in REX versus SIT (β = 3.3 bpm, p < 0.001, d = 0.35) and individual time points (β ≥ 3.2 bpm, p ≤ 0.044, d ≥ 0.34). Resistance exercise breaks can potentially improve 1-h postprandial glucose, but may not acutely benefit other cardiometabolic outcomes. Future studies employing guidelines-based resistance exercises to interrupt prolonged sitting with a larger sample and longer follow-up are warranted.

Classroom active breaks: a feasibility study in Southern Italy

Though classroom time has been identified as a contributing factor to sedentary behavior, school has been recognized as the main educational setting providing physical activity (PA) opportunities. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a classroom-based intervention which integrates PA during the school time, and assess its potential effect on reducing inactivity in primary school children. The intervention was performed in a sample of 47 children attending a primary school in the south of Italy and it was structured in two sessions of classroom active breaks (CABs) in three school days a week, shared with and supervised by the teachers. CABs showed an overall potential positive effect on the reduction of inactivity of ∼12 min and an equivalent increase in PA levels, of which 5 min were of moderate/vigorous intensity. Girls showed lower time spent in light and moderate PA and higher amount of inactivity than boys and responded better to the intervention. The satisfaction of children and teachers was high. CABs program is a safe tool to reduce inactivity and increase moderate/vigorous PA. Designing structured exercise breaks adapted in a flexible way to meet the needs of the school curriculum program may increase the feasibility of such PA program in the schools.

Acute Effect of Intermittent Exercise and Action-Based Video Game Breaks on Math Performance in Preadolescent Children

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of video game breaks and intermittent exercise breaks, performed at varying intensities, on math performance in preadolescent children. Methods: A total of 39 children (18 males and 21 females; aged 7–11 y) completed 4 experimental conditions in random order: 8 hours of sitting interrupted with 20 two-minute low-, moderate-, or high-intensity exercise breaks or 20 two-minute sedentary computer game breaks. The intensity of exercise breaks for the low-, moderate-, and high-intensity conditions corresponded with 25%, 50%, and 75% of heart rate reserve, respectively. Math performance was assessed 3 times throughout each condition day using a 90-second math test consisting of 40 single-digit addition and subtraction questions. Results: There were no significant differences in percent change in math scores (correct answers out of attempted) by condition [low: −1.3 (0.8), moderate: 0.1 (1.3), high: −1.8 (0.7), and computer: −2.5 (0.8); P > .05]. There were significant differences in percent change in math scores over the course of the condition days with lower math scores reported at end-of-day test compared with midday test [−2.4 (0.5) vs −0.4 (0.3); P = .01]. There were no significant condition × time, time × age, condition × age, or condition × time × age interactions (all Ps > .05). Conclusion: Action-based video game and exercise breaks elicit the same level of math performance in children; however, time of day may impact this relationship. These findings may have important implications for instructional time in elementary classrooms.

Test de coordinación motriz 3JS: Cómo valorar y analizar su ejecución (Motor Coordination Test 3JS: Assessing and analyzing its implementation)

La valoración de la coordinación motriz en edad temprana es una de las exigencias del profesional de la Educación Física y de los investigadores en este campo. El test 3JS tiene como objetivo evaluar el nivel de coordinación motriz de los niños y niñas de 6 a 11 años. Se realiza un recorrido con 7 tareas de forma consecutiva y sin descanso intermedio: saltos verticales, giro, lanzamientos, golpeos con el pie, carrera de slalom, bote con slalom y conducción sin slalom. En el documento que se presenta a continuación se describen las tareas de la que consta el test, se explica de forma detallada cada uno de los cuatro criterios de valoración cualitativa en cada una de ellas y se presenta una hoja de registro didáctica para evaluar un grupo de niños. Además, se describen las variables de valoración dentro del análisis de los resultados: Nivel de coordinación motriz, de coordinación locomotriz y de coordinación control de objetos (mano y pie) y Ratios y Cocientes para profundizar en el análisis comparativo entre las expresiones de la coordinación. Abstract. Assessment of motor coordination in early ages is one of the requirements for physical education professionals and for researchers in this field. The 3JS test aims to assess motor coordination levels in Primary Education students (aged 6-11). A 7-task path is performed consecutively without between-exercise breaks: vertical jumps, turn, throw, kicking, slalom race, slalom ball handling and no-slalom conduction. This document describes the tasks included in the aforementioned test, explaining in detail each of the four qualitative assessment criteria applied to each of them. Also, a sample Education record sheet employed to assess groups of children is shown. Moreover, evaluation variables for the analysis of results are described: motor coordination levels, locomotor coordination, and object control coordination (hands and feet), in addition to Ratios and quotients so as to carry out further comparative analysis of coordination expressions.