Break for Physical Activity: Incorporating Classroom-Based Physical Activity Breaks into Preschools

Engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is essential to lifelong health and wellness. Physical activity behaviors established in early childhood relate to physical activity behaviors in later years. However, research has shown that children are adopting more sedentary behaviors. Incorporating structured and planned physical activity breaks into classroom transition times is an inexpensive and effective technique to increase children’s physical activity during school hours. However, this approach has not been studied in preschool settings. The purpose of this paper is to provide a simple, cost-effective method that incorporates structured physical activity into the preschool curriculum through classroom based physical activity breaks. Results of a case study along with an overview of the implementation of physical activity breaks are discussed.