Best Practices for Safe Movement Breaks Indoors

In today's ever-changing educational environment the spotlight is shifting to the overall development of students. While academic rigorousness and the scores on tests are still important, increasing body of research reveals an aspect that is often overlooked: breaks for movement in schools. As sedentary classroom routines and increased screen time become the commonplace, the need for purposeful, structured physical activity during the school day has never been greater. This guide will explain the reason why break time is an essential part of any school day, what advantages they bring and give practical suggestions for teachers and administrators.

What Are Movement Breaks in schools?

Motion breaks--also known as breaks for the brain, activity breaks, or physical activity breaks--are short breaks during the school day where students are encouraged to engage in physical activities. They can be a time for stretching, dancing, more organized games, exercises or mindfulness activities. Breaks for movement, in contrast to classes in physical education, which follow a curriculum, are frequent brief interruptions to classes that are sedentary. They can help students refocus their' minds and reenergize them.

Examples of movement breaks

• In place running or jumping jacks
• Stretching or Yoga Poses
• Quick dance routines
• Brain gym activities
• Group games that involve movement
• Breathing guided by a guide, paired with gentle movement

Why Movement Breaks Matter The Science

1. Physical Health Benefits

The positive impact of physical activity breaks for health is one of the strongest reasons for incorporating them into your routine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children and adolescents engage in 60 minutes of exercise. A majority of students fail to comply with this requirement because they spend long hours in school.

Movement breaks in schools provide numerous health advantages:

• Enhance fitness levels for your cardiovascular system
• Improve flexibility and strength of muscles
• Healthy weight loss: Encourage healthy weight loss
• Obesity in children is a problem

Regular exercise also improves the immune system and helps in the growth of healthy lifestyles.

2. Advantages to the Brain and Education

Contrary to the common belief that spending more time in school leads to better scores, research has proven that taking a break during class can improve the academic level of students . Physical activity increases the blood flow to the brain. This helps deliver nutrients and oxygen that are essential to cognitive function.

The main benefits for academics include:

• Attention and focus can be improved
• Improved memory retention
• Better problem-solving skills
• Engagement and participation
• An increase in the amount of time spent on task.

Research has shown that students who receive movement breaks return to tasks with greater concentration and show greater achievement scores when compared with those who don't get such breaks.

3. Well-being in the Mental and Emotional sphere

The mental health of children is an increasing concern with stress, anxiety, and depression being a major issue for school-aged youngsters. The role of exercise in regulating emotions and encouraging mental health is widely known.

Emotional Benefits are:

• Reduction in stress and anxiety
• Self-esteem and improved mood
• Endorphins are released to give you a feeling of happiness
• Social interaction and teamwork

The physical activity you do during the day can help to release pent up energy, frustration or worry. This creates an environment that is positive for students.

All students benefit from breaks in movement

Supporting Diverse Learning Needs

Movement breaks are particularly beneficial for those with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or sensory processing challenges, or other special needs. Physical exercise can help students control their energy levels, boost their executive functioning, and enable them to better participate in academic tasks.

Designing inclusive classrooms

Because they are adaptable and customizable, they can be adapted to meet the requirements of different ages physical capabilities, as well as learning methods. Movement breaks can vary from simple stretches on the chair up to interactive group exercises. They guarantee that each student can thrive.

How do you incorporate breaks for movement into your schedule

Teachers can benefit from this toolkit

• Create a calendar. Include movement breaks every 30-60 mins, especially in lengthy instructional blocks.
• It's easy. Choose routines that are simple to complete and require no equipment or preparation.
• Make it enjoyable: Integrate music, stories or other themes that keep students entertained.
• Involve students: Have students choose or lead their favorite exercise.

For Administrators

• Support for building: Educate staff and families on the benefits of taking breaks to move.
• Create guidelines: Encourage or mandate daily school breaks for all students.
• Professional Development: Provide teachers with training and resources to lead activity breaks in a confident manner.
• Monitor progress: Collect feedback and track outcomes to refine practices.

Learn remotely or through hybrid learning

The need for breaks during movement is equally essential during online learning. Teachers can facilitate video-based activity sessions or give students movement tasks to finish at home.

Addressing Common Concerns

Do movement breaks eat up time in the class?

On the contrary studies show that students who exercise regularly are more focused, less disruptive and more efficient during lessons. Breaks for movement are an Investment into learning and not distracting.

"How do we find the time to move during the midst of a busy schedule?"

You can incorporate short breaks (between 2-5 minutes) into your routine in order to switch between subjects or to recover from an intense focus. Even short activity has noticeable benefits.

What happens if the space in which we have is limited?

Some exercises can be completed standing next to desks or in a tiny space. In smaller classrooms, seated yoga, stretches in a chair, or simple arm and hand exercises can be beneficial.

The Impact of Movement Breaks on School Culture

It's not only about the individual benefits of integrating exercise breaks; it's also about establishing a culture in schools that is centered around wellbeing, health and lifelong learning. Schools that emphasize exercise are likely to have:

• Students who are healthier and have less absences
• Enhanced school spirit and community
• Greater satisfaction of teachers and lower rates of burnout
• More academically successful

Other wellness programs, such as bullying prevention, nutrition education, social-emotional training, and social-emotional-learning can be aligned with the breaks in your exercise.

Get Started with These Tips

1. Begin slowly: Start with just one or two breaks per day.
2. Keep it regular. Include movement in your daily routine.
3. Get creative: Rotate activities to keep students engaged and interested.
4. Get feedback from teachers and students: Request input and suggestions.
5. Celebrate success: Recognize classrooms and students who enthusiastically participate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the best time to introduce movement breaks?

Experts suggest schools take a 30-minute break for movement. However, the frequency of breaks is adjustable depending on the school's requirements.

Can movement breaks replace PE classes?

No. The movement breaks are an addition to, not a substitute for, structured physical education.

Is movement appropriate for all children?

Yes! Movement breaks can be tailored for preschoolers, elementary, middle, and high school students.

Do movement breaks require special equipment?

Not at all. Most effective movements need no equipment, or just simple items like balls, scarves or music.

Integrating breaks to move throughout the school day can provide a vast variety of benefits. The research shows that movement is important for a myriad of reasons which include improving academic performance as well as physical health and classroom behaviour. You can make a difference in the lives of your students, whether you're an administrator or teacher, a parent or a policymaker.

Let's make moving a mandatory element of each student's school experience. Why? Because when kids move they learn, improve and flourish.