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Strategy Profile: Movement Breaks in the Classroom

The information in this resource is intended only to provide educational information. This profile describes the estimated benefits, activities, resources, and leadership needed to implement a strategy to improve child health. This information can be useful for planning and prioritization purposes.

  • Movement Breaks in the Classroom is a strategy to promote physical activity during the school day by incorporating five-to-10-minute movement breaks in K-5 public elementary school classrooms. 

What population benefits?

 Children in grades K-5 attending public elementary schools. 

What are the estimated benefits?

Relative to not implementing the strategy

Increase students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels and, in turn, promote healthy child weight. 

What activities and resources are needed?

Activities Resources Who Leads?
Identify and compile materials and content for training and implementation • Time for physical activity coordinator to identify and compile materials/content to train teachers
• Time for physical activity coordinator to develop a movement break library to support teachers with implementation
Physical activity coordinator
Recruit schools and coordinate training • Time for physical activity coordinator to communicate and plan training activities with schools Physical activity coordinator
Train classroom teachers in movement breaks • Time for physical activity coordinator to provide training
• Time for classroom teachers to attend trainings
Physical activity coordinator
Materials and equipment provided to teachers to implement movement breaks • Material costs School districts or local government

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Community Preventive Services Task Force. Physical Activity: Classroom-based Physical Activity Break Interventions. The Community Guide. 2021:8. Available at: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/physical-activity-classroom-based-physical-activity-break-interventions

Selected CHOICES research brief including cost-effectiveness metrics:

Carter J, Greene J, Neeraja S, Bovenzi, M, Sabir M, Carter S, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JR, Cradock AL. Boston, MA: Movement Breaks in the Classroom {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; August 2022. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-movement-breaks-boston

Good N, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL. Massachusetts: Movement Breaks in the Classroom {Issue Brief}. The CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; June 2023. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-movement-breaks-ma


Suggested Citation

CHOICES Strategy Profile: Movement Breaks in the Classroom. CHOICES Project Team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; October 2022.

Funding

This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes. Links to other resources and websites are intended to provide additional information aligned with this educational purpose. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

Adapted from the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist

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