Education Week talked with Heather Erwin, Ph.D., for her take on how students can get exercise during the school day without disrupting learning. Erwin, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion in the University of Kentucky College of Education, is editor of the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. She said studies show using academic content during activity breaks does not seem to be more or less effective in boosting students’ attention and activity levels.
“Academic-based activity breaks are just as good as other physical activity,” she told Education Week. “Perhaps students do a number of jumping jacks for a response to a math question. Or, the teacher asks a question and if it’s true, the students do this activity but if it’s false, they do another activity.”
Erwin’s interview appears in two Education Week articles:
5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Class Activity Breaks
Students Need More Exercise. Here’s How to Add Activity Without Disrupting Learning