Abstract
Abstract
Background
College students’ prolonged sedentary behavior due to heavy academic burdens impairs cognitive functions and academic performance. Classroom physical activity breaks have been studied in younger students, but evidence among college students remains limited. This study aims to systematically evaluate the effects of classroom physical activity breaks on academic-related outcomes among college students, including classroom engagement, academic emotions, attention, and academic performance.
Methods
A comprehensive literature search was conducted across databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and ERIC (EBSCOhost), covering all publications up to May 2025, supplemented by manual search and citation tracking.
Results
A total of 5,813 records were initially identified, and 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, classroom physical activity breaks were positively associated with improvements in sustained attention, emotional engagement, and positive academic emotions. However, findings for selective attention, behavioral engagement, negative emotions, and academic performance were mixed or inconclusive, with several studies reporting non-significant effects and one study reporting a negative effect on selective attention.
Conclusions
Physical activity breaks in the classroom improved students’ learning behaviors and may also contribute to enhanced academic outcomes. This study highlights that, provided teaching efficiency is not compromised, the integration of classroom physical activity breaks represents a viable and impactful educational intervention.