Effects of Short Physical Activity Breaks on Thinking Skills After University Lectures in Undergraduate Students

Acute Cognitive Effects of Brief Physical Activity Breaks After Lecture-Based Academic Activity in Undergraduate University Students: A Randomized Crossover Study

The goal of this randomized crossover study is to evaluate whether brief Physical Activity Breaks (PABs), implemented immediately after lecture-based academic activity, can improve attentional processing and executive functioning in undergraduate university students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do OPAB or PABEx improve attentional and executive performance compared to a no-break control condition (NPAB)? Does PABEx provide superior cognitive benefits compared to OPAB?

Researchers will compare:

OPAB (a standardized 10-minute outdoor walking protocol) PABEx (a 10-minute exergame-based break using Fruit Ninja Kinect)

to see if these interventions improve cognitive performance compared to NPAB (supervised passive seated rest), and whether significant differences in cognitive outcomes emerge between OPAB and PABEx.

Participants will:

Complete cognitive assessments (Trail Making Test A-B and Stroop Color-Word Test) immediately after each condition.

Be randomly assigned, in counterbalanced order, to all three conditions across three consecutive weeks separated by a 7-day washout interval.

Engage in a 10-minute structured break (OPAB or PABEx) or passive rest (NPAB) following two consecutive hours of seated university lectures, including:

Warm-up (2 minutes): low-intensity dynamic movements. Main session (6 minutes): light-to-moderate outdoor walking (OPAB) or Fruit Ninja Kinect exergaming (PABEx).

Cool-down (2 minutes): relaxation and gentle stretching exercises.

This study will provide insights into the efficacy of brief active breaks as a pragmatic strategy to enhance cognitive efficiency in university students during academically demanding periods.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cognitive Fatigue
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Exergame-based Physical Activity Break; Other: Outdoor Physical Activity Break

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 42
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Bari
    • Bari, Bari, Italy, 70123
      • Università degli studi di Bari "Aldo Moro"

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• enrolled full-time
• 18-35 years old at the time of data collection
• physically able to stand and perform brief bouts of physical activity safely

Exclusion Criteria:

• musculoskeletal disorders
• current or recent lower-limb injuries
• acute or chronic medical conditions that could limit safe participation in light-to-moderate physical activity
• unable to comply with the study protocol

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exergame-based Physical Activity Break (PABEx)	Other: Exergame-based Physical Activity Break; The PABEx condition consisted of a 10-minute non-immersive exergaming session structured into three phases: (i) Warm-up (2 min): the same dynamic warm-up used in OPAB. (ii) Exergame phase (6 min): participants played Fruit Ninja Kinect, standing at approximately 1.5-2.0 m from a television screen and using a Kinect motion-sensing controller to perform rapid upper-limb movements to slice virtual fruit, combining physical engagement with visuomotor coordination and sustained attentional demands. (iii) Cool-down (2 min): the same relaxation and stretching exercises used in OPAB. Although duration, game, setting, and instructions were standardized, physiological intensity was not objectively monitored and may have varied across individuals. Session duration, sequencing, supervision, and timing of cognitive testing were kept constant across all conditions.
Experimental: Outdoor Physical Activity Break (OPAB),	Other: Outdoor Physical Activity Break; The OPAB condition consisted of a standardized 10-minute outdoor protocol structured into three phases: (i) Warm-up (2 min): low-intensity dynamic movements targeting major joints (ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders) combined with light marching in place. (ii) Walking phase (6 min): participants walked along a predefined outdoor route at approximately 4.5 km·h-¹, providing a light-to-moderate aerobic stimulus; exercise intensity was not objectively monitored. (iii) Cool-down (2 min): relaxation and gentle stretching exercises targeting lower-limb muscle groups and breathing regulation.
No Intervention: No Physical Activity Break (NPAB)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Trail Making Test A (TMT-A): Completion time	Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) assesses visual attention and processing speed. The outcome is the time required to complete the task, measured in seconds. Lower completion times indicate better cognitive performance. Possible scores range from 0 seconds to no predefined maximum value. Unit of Measure Seconds	3-weeks
The Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT): Completion Time	The Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) assesses selective attention, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Participants are required to name the color of visual stimuli and to identify the ink color of color words printed in incongruent colors. The outcome measure is the time required to complete the test, expressed in seconds. Scores range from 0 seconds to no predefined maximum value. Lower scores indicate better cognitive performance. Unit of Measure Seconds	3-weeks
Trail Making Test B (TMT-B): Completion Time	Trail Making Test B (TMT-B) assesses executive function, cognitive flexibility, and set-shifting ability. The outcome is the time required to complete the task, measured in seconds. Lower completion times indicate better cognitive performance. Possible scores range from 0 seconds to no predefined maximum value. Unit of Measure Seconds	3-weeks
The Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT): Errors	The Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) assesses selective attention, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. The outcome measure is the number of errors committed during test performance. Scores range from 0 errors to no predefined maximum value. Lower scores indicate better cognitive performance. Unit of Measure Errors	3-weeks
Trail Making Test A (TMT-A): Errors	The Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) assesses visual attention, visual scanning, and processing speed. The outcome measure is the number of errors committed while completing the task. Scores range from 0 errors to no predefined maximum value. Lower scores indicate better cognitive performance. Unit of Measure Errors	3-weeks
Trail Making Test B (TMT-B): Errors	The Trail Making Test B (TMT-B) assesses executive function, cognitive flexibility, and set-shifting ability. The outcome measure is the number of errors committed during task performance. Scores range from 0 errors to no predefined maximum value. Lower scores indicate better cognitive performance. Unit of Measure Errors	3-weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bari Aldo Moro
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Luca Poli, P.hd., University of Bari Aldo Moro

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 22, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): April 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 28, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 28, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 3, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 116866

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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