Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
The contribution of recess to children's school-day physical activity
Heather Erwin1, Mark Abel, Aaron Beighle
1Dept of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Background:
Recess is an important component of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program, providing approximately 1268 and 914 steps for boys and girls, respectively, within a 15-minute time period. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of unstructured recess on children's school-day physical activity levels and to examine if recess and school-day physical activity levels varied by BMI, gender, and grade level.
Methods:
One-hundred sixty third- to fifth-grade students from 2 elementary schools wore pedometers during 4 recess periods.
Results:
Recess accounted for 17% to 44% of school-day step counts. There was a significant main effect for grade level, but not for BMI or gender, on the percentage of school-day steps accumulated during recess.
Conclusions:
A 15-minute recess makes a valuable contribution to children's school-day physical activity, especially for the least active children. More research is warranted to determine environmental influences on children's recess physical activity.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Naturalistic Observations
Information Processing Approach
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...

