Effects of Daily Classroom Physical Activity Breaks on Mental Fatigue and Cognitive Performance in School-Age Students

Introduction: Prolonged sedentary behavior during classroom instruction has been associated with increased mental fatigue and reduced cognitive performance among school-age students. Brief, structured classroom physical activity breaks have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance cognitive functioning by promoting physiological arousal and reducing cognitive fatigue; however, evidence regarding their sustained effects over several weeks remains limited.
Objective: To examine the effects of daily classroom physical activity breaks on mental fatigue and cognitive performance in school-age students.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 120 students (ages 8–12 years) assigned to an intervention group (daily 5–10 minutes activity breaks; n=60) or a control group (standard classroom routines; n=60). Mental fatigue was measured using the Pediatric Mental Fatigue Scale, and cognitive performance was assessed via a composite of Digit Span and Flanker tasks, both at baseline and after a four-week intervention. ANCOVA was used for data analysis.
Results: Students in the intervention group demonstrated significantly lower adjusted mental fatigue scores than those in the control group (19.0±4.6 vs. 23.3±5.0; F(1,114)=37.8, p<0.001, partial η²=0.25, Cohen’s d=1.09). Adjusted cognitive performance scores were also significantly higher in the intervention group (88.8±8.2 vs. 84.0±8.8; F(1,114)=28.6, p<0.001, partial η²=0.20, Cohen’s d=0.93).
Conclusions: These findings suggest that incorporating brief daily classroom physical activity breaks may reduce mental fatigue and support improvements in cognitive performance among school-age students. Although longer-term studies are warranted, structured movement opportunities appear to represent a feasible strategy for promoting cognitive engagement within primary school classrooms.