Effects of physical activity breaks on cognitive function in undergraduate students
A pilot study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22109928 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Juan Carlos Pastor Vicedo (0000-0001-5771-6542, University of Castilla-La Mancha), María Pilar León (0000-0003-1639-0034, University of Castilla-La Mancha), Francisco Tomás González-Férnandez (0000-0002-1480-7521, Universidad de Granada), Alejandro Prieto-Ayuso (0000-0002-6228-5473, University of Castilla-La Mancha, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2024-12-31 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cogent Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2331-1886 • E-ISSN: 2331-1886 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23311886.2024.2326692 |
| OpenAlex | W4392661758 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 49 |
Physical activity is known to have several cognitive benefits. As a result, many teachers introduce short bouts of physical activity (active breaks) during their lessons. However, active breaks are less common in the university context, where students tend to remain passive during lessons. Therefore, there is a paucity of literature on active breaks and their benefits for undergraduate students. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 10-min active break at moderate intensity on vigilance in undergraduate students by using a psychomotor vigilance task. Twenty-six undergraduate students (Mage = 23.36, SD = 1.98; 53.8% females) participated in this study and performed two conditions: control condition (passive condition) and experimental condition (active break). Results revealed that after receiving 10 min of moderate-intensity physical activity, the students improved their attention, as they responded faster to the psychomotor vigilance task than in the control condition. Considering these results, it seems that students can benefit from physical activity breaks by improving their vigilance. However, as this conclusion is based on a pilot study, we should be cautious in interpreting these results. Further research into this finding is needed
Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Mathematics education · Medical education · Physical activity · Physical therapy · Applied Psychology · Health and Lifestyle Studies · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Physical Activity and Health · Psychology · Social Psychology
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Acute Effects of a Short Bout of Physical Activity on Cognitive Function in Sport Students
School readiness and later achievement
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |