Active Breaks and Executive Function in Scholars (ACTISTOP)

Active-breaks, Learning, Creativity and Emotional Health in Preadolescent Students (ACTISTOP)

This study aims to examine whether short bouts of exercise (10 minutes) performed during the school day can improve thinking skills, creativity and emotional wellbeing in primary school children. Specifically, children aged 11-12 years will be randomly assigned to perform either a short aerobic exercise break, a strength-based exercise break, or a seated control activity. The study will evaluate how these 10 minutes activity breaks influence attention, working memory, creativity, and emotional wellbeing state after completing cognitively demanding tasks. The findings will help to identify effective strategies to integrate physical activity into the classroom to enhance learning and overall well-being in school settings.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Creativity; Psychological Wellbeing; Executive Function (Cognition)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Active Break

Detailed Description

This study investigates the effects of short classroom-based physical activity breaks on cognitive performance, creativity and emotional wellbeing in primary school children aged 11 to 12 years. Many children spend long periods sitting during the school day, which may negatively affect attention, learning, and overall health. Introducing brief "active breaks" during class time has been proposed as a practical strategy to interrupt sedentary behavior and promote both physical and cognitive benefits.

In this study, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an aerobic exercise group, a strength-based (neuromuscular) exercise group, or a control group that remains seated and watches a low-demand video. All interventions will last approximately 10 minutes and will be delivered in a standardized format including a warm-up, main activity, and cool-down.

To better reflect real classroom conditions, participants will perform academic tasks (e.g., reading and mathematics) prior to the intervention to induce cognitive fatigue. At baseline, before and after the intervention, children will complete a series of simple tasks and questionnaires designed to assess key aspects of cognitive function, such as attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, as well as creativity and emotional state.

In addition, participants will undergo physical fitness assessments (e.g., strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition). These measures will be used as potential moderating variables or to explore associations between physical fitness levels and cognitive and emotional responses to the activity breaks.

The main objective of the study is to determine whether these short activity breaks can produce immediate improvements in cognitive, creativity and emotional outcomes, and whether different types of exercise (aerobic vs. strength-based) have distinct effects. The results of this study may help schools and educators design effective, evidence-based strategies to integrate physical activity into daily classroom routines, with the goal of improving students' learning, wellbeing, and overall development.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 114
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD; Phone Number: +34 964 729782; Email: dmoliner@uji.es
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Carlos Babiloni-Lopez, PhD; Phone Number: +34 964 729840; Email: cbabilon@uji.es

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Castellón
    • Castellon, Castellón, Spain, 12071
      • Recruiting
      • Universitat Jaume I
      • Contact: Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD; Phone Number: +34 964 729782; Email: dmoliner@uji.es
      • Contact: Carlos Babiloni-Lopez, PhD; Phone Number: +34 964 729840; Email: cbabilon@uji.es
      • Sub-Investigator: Mireia Adelantado-Renau, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Maria Reyes Beltrán-Valls, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Maria Dolores Temprado-Albalat, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Jose Vicente Beltrán-Garrido, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Noelia Linares-Ayala, MsC
      • Sub-Investigator: Carlos Bou-Sospedra, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Irene Monzonís-Carda, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Alessandra de Maria, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Martín Sánchez-Gómez, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Students enrolled in the 5th and 6th grades of primary education in the city of Castellón, with continuous academic progression and no history of grade retention.
• Students without diagnosed physical, neurological, or cognitive disorders.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Students with a history of grade retention.
• Students with diagnosed learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Students presenting any medical or psychiatric disease.
• Students undergoing chronic pharmacological treatment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Rest Break; Participants in the control group will remain seated while watching a silent video with low cognitive load and without verbal interaction for 10 min.
Experimental: Strength Active Break; Participants assigned to the exercise strength group will perform a vigorous-intensity neuromuscular protocol based on a Tabata structure (20 s work / 10 s rest). The session includes two blocks of four exercises targeting upper body, lower body, and core musculature in alternating sequences designed to ensure balanced neuromuscular stimulation while limiting localized fatigue	Other: Active Break; A 10-min active break format was selected to maximize feasibility within school settings. All conditions followed an identical temporal structure consisting of a 1-min warm-up, an 8-min main activity phase, and a 1-min cool-down delivered through standardized instructional videos that guided students in reproducing and observing the correct technique and execution of the exercises.
Experimental: Aerobic Active Break; Participants assigned to the aerobic exercise group will perform continuous cardiovascular exercises at moderate intensity. The main phase will consist of two exercise blocks repeated twice, including four aerobic movements performed for 30 s. Exercise sequencing alternates upper- and lower-body movements to promote whole-body involvement and progressive cardiovascular demand. Within each block, the first minute was performed at a low-to-moderate intensity, whereas the second minute was performed at a slightly higher intensity. This intensity pattern was maintained consistently across block repetitions.	Other: Active Break; A 10-min active break format was selected to maximize feasibility within school settings. All conditions followed an identical temporal structure consisting of a 1-min warm-up, an 8-min main activity phase, and a 1-min cool-down delivered through standardized instructional videos that guided students in reproducing and observing the correct technique and execution of the exercises.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-perceived emotional state	Assessed using a paper-based measure following the Russell's circumplex model of affect, which conceptualizes emotions according to two primary dimensions: activation level (0 = low to 10 = high) and well-being or happiness level (0 = low to 10 = high).	Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).
Executive Function	The Eriksen Flanker Task and forward and backward digit span tests will be administered online and in paper format, respectively.	Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).
Creativity	Guilford's divergent thinking test will be administered in paper format.	Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Socioeconomic status	Socioeconomic status will be assessed using the Family Affluence Scale III (FAS III), a self-reported questionnaire with higher scores indicating higher family affluence.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Sleep Pattern	Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-reported questionnaire with a global score ranging from 0 to 21, where higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Self-reported Physical Fitness	Self-reported physical fitness will be assessed using the International Fitness Scale (IFIS), which evaluates overall fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, speed-agility, and flexibility using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very poor to 5 = very good), where higher scores indicate better perceived physical fitness.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Diet Pattern	Adherence to the Mediterranean diet will be assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents (KIDMED), with scores ranging from -4 to 12, where higher scores indicate better adherence to the Mediterranean diet.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Physical Activity Enjoyment	Enjoyment of physical activity will be assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), consisting of 16 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 to 5), with total scores ranging from 16 to 80, where higher scores indicate greater enjoyment of physical activity.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Affective State	Negative affect will be assessed using the Negative Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), which consists of 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very slightly or not at all to 5 = extremely), with total scores ranging from 10 to 50, where higher scores indicate greater negative affect.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Sedentary Behavior	Sedentary behavior will be assessed using the Children and Adolescents Physical Activity and Sedentary Questionnaire (CAPAS-Q), which estimates daily time spent in sedentary activities. Results are expressed in minutes per day, where higher values indicate greater sedentary behavior.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Resting Heart Rate	Resting heart rate will be assessed using a heart rate monitor, expressed in beats per minute (bpm), with lower values indicating better cardiovascular fitness.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Systolic Blood Pressure	Systolic blood pressure will be measured using an automated sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Diastolic Blood Pressure	Diastolic blood pressure will be measured using an automated sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Daily physical activity	Students will wear an accelerometer (GENEActiv; Activinsights Ltd, Kimbolton, UK) during one week.	During one week before the intervention procedure.
Handgrip Strength Test	Upper-body muscular strength will be assessed using the handgrip strength test with a dynamometer, expressed in kilograms (kg), where higher values indicate greater muscular strength.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
20-m Shuttle Run Test	Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed using the 20-m shuttle run test, with performance expressed as the number of completed stages or laps, where higher values indicate better cardiorespiratory fitness.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Standing Long Jump Test	Lower-body muscular power will be assessed using the standing long jump test, expressed in centimeters (cm), where greater distances indicate higher muscular power.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
4x10-m Shuttle Run Test	Speed and agility will be assessed using the 4 × 10-m shuttle run test, with performance expressed in seconds (s), where lower times indicate better performance.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Body Weight	Body weight will be measured using electrical bioimpedance (Tanita DC-360 portable S) and expressed in kilograms (kg).	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Height	Height will be measured using a stadiometer (SECA 213) and expressed in centimeters (cm).	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Body Mass Index (BMI)	Body mass index (BMI) will be calculated from weight and height measurements and expressed in kilograms per square meter (kg/m²).	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)
Body Fat Percentage	Body fat percentage will be assessed using electrical bioimpedance (Tanita DC-360 portable S) and expressed as a percentage (%), where higher values indicate higher adiposity.	Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Heart Rate	Monitored second-by-second during all three conditions using a Polar H10 monitor, which includes a chest strap.	During the experimental condition, which will last 10 minutes.
Rating of Perceived Exertion	Perceived exertion will be assessed using a child-adapted Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no exertion and 10 indicates maximal exertion, with higher scores reflecting greater perceived effort.	During the experimental condition, which will last 10 minutes.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universitat Jaume I
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD, Universitat Jaume I

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Research group web page
• Access to Dr. Diego Moliner-Urdiales' profile within the University Jaume I

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 26, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 1, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 15, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 15, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: memory; physical activity; exercise; cognition; attention; creativity; Inhibition; emotions; sedentarism
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Motor Activity; Inhibition, Psychological
• Other Study ID Numbers: PID2023-148956OB-I00; CEISH/21/2025 (Other Identifier: Universitat Jaume I)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: All data collected in this project will anonymized and shared upon completion of the study. The dataset will be deposited in the institutional repository of Universitat Jaume I (http://repositori.uji.es) or in Zenodo within the Universitat Jaume I Research Data community (https://zenodo.org/communities/universitatjaumei). Within these repositories, a DOI will be assigned, the data will be described according to the appropriate metadata schema, and any data eligible for open access will be distributed under a Creative Commons license.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No