Instant Recess®: a practical tool for increasing physical activity during the school day

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Educational Interventions
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Rising childhood obesity rates necessitate school-based physical activity (PA) policies.
• Interventions must boost activity without compromising academic learning time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a policy implementation intervention aimed at increasing in-school PA.
• The study focused on elementary schools in Forsyth County, North Carolina, using a randomized delayed intervention design.

Main Methods:

• The study involved third- to fifth-grade classrooms across eight elementary schools.
• Instant Recess® provided 10-minute PA breaks scheduled by teachers.
• Direct observation assessed student and teacher behaviors related to PA.

Main Results:

• Classroom-based PA increased significantly in intervention schools and was sustained.
• Students in classrooms with Instant Recess showed significant increases in light-intensity (51%) and moderate-intensity (16%) PA.
• On-task behavior increased by 11% in intervention classrooms; control schools saw similar benefits after implementation.

Conclusions:

• Instant Recess® is effective for enhancing PA and improving student behavior in elementary schools.
• Further research is needed on policies supporting classroom activity breaks and adherence assessment.