The Importance of Movement Breaks

What are Movement Breaks?

During earlier years of child education, public school students in the majority of Canada partake in ‘movement breaks’. In elementary, there was recess, allowing younger children the chance to get out energy and spend time outside. In middle school, there were what were commonly known as movement breaks, which created opportunities for social interaction and physical activity during class time. These little breaks throughout the day were designed to keep students focused by allowing them to ease their minds for a few moments of the school day. 

In high school, this is not a regular practice. Specifically at Citadel, we go to class at most 4 times a day, 75 minutes per class. In total, some students are going to class for 5 whole hours a day. During these classes, we are expected to provide our full attention. Not even personally but realistically, this isn’t a fair standard. For some students, focusing is difficult. Many students who struggle with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders tend to lose energy faster when forced to try to focus. By the end of class, almost all of the energy previously had is drained. Fortunately, an easy partial solution to this problem is so incredibly easy to implement into the daily school lives of the students of Citadel High School.

Mental and Physical Benefits

One notable benefit of movement breaks is the increase in focus throughout the class period. Even during our own personal study time, there is a lot of research to back up taking breaks and allowing our minds to rest and retain. According to The Learning Centre of the University of North Carolina, taking regular and consistent breaks during a longer study session can increase the amount of information that can be retained, because it isn’t all being retained at once. If we are advised to take breaks on our personal studying time (ex. the Pomodoro Method), why wouldn’t we take them during our class time?

Another issue that arises with our long class periods is the physical toll that sitting down can have on a person. Some might argue that students are young and completely capable of sitting down for five hours. However, studies by Stanford University have concluded that sitting in class is putting the health of students at risk. Short-term risks include aching and pains, while long-term risks include a higher chance of developing heart disease later on in life. A simple five-minute break allowing students to stretch and engage in even a short amount of physical activity could be incredibly beneficial in the future.

What happens when Movement Breaks are implemented in high school?

Last year, I got the opportunity to see exactly what happens when a break is taken around halfway through Citadel’s 75-minute blocks. One of my four teachers would encourage students to take a five-minute break in the middle of class to walk around or get water. I quickly noticed I personally felt more inclined to go to this class because I knew that I wouldn’t be sitting down for 75 minutes straight. Not only this, but my classmates noticeably worked more efficiently. This pretty much eliminated students standing by the door before the bell rings, because student engagement had increased.

Scroggs, Laura. “The Pomodoro Technique – Why It Works & How to Do It.” Todoist, todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Taking Breaks.” Learning Center, 2024, learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/taking-breaks/.

Wong, May. “Stanford Study Finds Walking Improves Creativity.” News.stanford.edu, 24 Apr. 2014, news.stanford.edu/stories/2014/04/walking-vs-sitting-042414.