Movement/mobility breaks

What, Why & When

A movement break, also known as a mobility break, is an active break from seated learning or working that lasts a few minutes and intends to improve the break takers’ well-being. It consists of a series of exercises to activate the participants physically and allow the brain to rest and recharge. Movement breaks are therefore also known as brain breaks. Despite aiming for activation, participants do not sweat and hence, do not need to wear sports clothing. Ideally, the instructor designs them in a way appropriate for literally every body and without special equipment.

A movement break can be integrated into any – in situ and online – lecture, seminar, or other kind of meeting – in short, situations in which we find ourselves sitting way longer than what is good for us. Prolonged sitting can increase the risk of chronic health conditions (Castro et al. 2020a, Rezende et al. 2014). Also, many of us are confronted with a great workload, potentially leading to enhanced stress levels, mental fatigue, and reduced productivity. Movement breaks do not solve those challenges per se and do not substitute extended active breaks from seated learning or working, yet they can be beneficial in combating them and provide health benefits (Balci & Aghazadeh 2004, Dempsey et al. 2016, Hennig et al. 2010, Peddie et al. 2013). Thus, movement breaks are ideally integrated into the daily routine for long-term effects (Winkler et al. 2018).

Goals

First and foremost, movement breaks aim to bring fun, joy, and a good mood to the participants and to raise the flow of energy in their bodies, including their brains. Although “there is limited research on classroom movement breaks in the university setting” (Peiris et al. 2021, p.2), previous studies identified benefits after movement breaks. Those include but are not limited to:
- improved physical and psychological well-being (Paulus et al. 2021)
- increased muscle relaxation (Paulus et al. 2021)
- decreased fatigue (Blasche et al. 2018)
- increased on-task attention, concentration, and focus (Felez-Nobrega et al. 2018, Fenesi et al. 2018, Paulus et al. 2021, Peires et al. 2021)
- improved cognitive functioning, capacity, and memory (Felez-Nobrega et al., 2018, Fenesi et al. 2018, Paulus et al. 2021, Peiris et al., 2021)
- increased vigor, enjoyment, and motivation (Blasche et al. 2018, Paulus et al. 2021, Peires et al. 2021)
- improved productivity and academic performance (Felez-Nobrega et al. 2018, Peiris et al., 2021)