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)

A word of caution

The studies mentioned indicate the potential benefits of movement breaks for university students, but another study by Hayes (2020) revealed mixed results. While some students appreciated in-class movement breaks, others found them rather negative and distracting. This highlights the need to not only explore the physiological and cognitive benefits of movement breaks but also to consider students' subjective experiences and reactions to their integration into the university setting. Also, concerns persist about the potential for movement breaks to interrupt concentration and reduce productivity (Castro et al. 2020b).

Getting started

There is a great variety of simple and yet sometimes slightly challenging movement exercises that can be put together into a movement break. They can be based on a series of traditional gym exercises such as jumping jacks, squads, and lunges. Another option is to use a default exercise with subsequent variations such as rope skipping with an imaginary rope with variations such as slower or faster jumping movements, one-legged jumps, or double jumps. Moreover, movement breaks can be designed in a creative manner to stimulate the participant’s imagination to move. Verbal instructions based on metaphors and storytelling can raise the level of the participants’ engagement and enjoyment, such as

- picking apples from a tree and from the ground – stretching the body in different directions and bending it forward
- moving the tip of your nose as if it were a brush that draws balls of different sizes such as golf ball, tennis ball, and volleyball
- moving the neck at all and expanding its range of movement

Movement breaks usually comprise individual exercises with short instructions but can be also designed for pairs or smaller groups. The instructor should always give different options regarding the intensity of the exercise or instruct the exercise in a way that the participants can choose their own level of intensity. This is important to allow participants with physical limitations due to, for example, injuries to participate but also to give participants the opportunity to estimate their own capabilities and to act accordingly. Ideally, a trained instructor facilitates the movement break. However, a movement break can also be successfully completed without professional guidance.

Some exercise examples

In addition to the exercises mentioned above (jumping jacks, squads, lunges, stretching the body and moving the tip of the nose), here are some other inspiring exercises you can incorporate into a mobility break. The exercises can be done standing up and in limited space.

Torso twists

A mobility exercise that works on ankle, hip, toe, and core mobility. Legs should be shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward, hands on hips. Turn your torso and head to face each side of the room. If you are facing the right side, keep your right leg still and turn your left leg to the right. Change sides as much as you like.
Source and video: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/mobility-exercises

Standing side crunch

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lift one knee towards the elbow on the same side while simultaneously squeezing your torso towards the knee. This exercise improves core strength and stability.

Stretching the arm and shoulder muscles

Stand upright and place your arm across in front of your upper body. Hold the arm horizontally and, using the other arm, pull the elbow towards the opposite shoulder.

Triceps stretch

Place one hand on the back of your neck with the elbow pointing up. With the other hand, push the elbow towards the lower back.

Go Bananas!

This is more of an energizer than a series of mobility exercises. However, it is also an active break from seated learning and can improve the participants' sense of wellbeing and motivation. It is also a lot of fun! The instructor says the following text and does the corresponding movements:
“Form Bananas, form form Bananas” - Slowly and rhythmically move your arms upwards until they meet above your head.
“Peel Bananas, peel peel Bananas” - Now slowly move your arms down again.
“Slice Bananas, slice slice Bananas” - Pretend you are cutting a very large banana into pieces on your arm.
“Eat Bananas, eat eat Bananas” - Pretend you are eating a very large banana.
“Go Bananas, go go Bananas” – Run on the spot.
“Shake Banana, shake shake Banana” – Shake your body with lots of energy.
You can extend this energizer with the other vegetables/fruits.
Here you can find an exemplary video showing the implementation.