Effects of an active breaks programme on the psychological performance of university students

Purpose: Mental fatigue resulting from prolonged cognitive activity leads to tiredness and decreased performance, particularly among university students. Active breaks (ABs) are short exercise sessions designed for use in the classroom, helping to alleviate stress and counteract the effects of prolonged sitting. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an AB programme on the psychological determinants of academic performance (motivation, attention, mood and mental fatigue) among university students. Method: A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-repeated measurements was conducted with 96 undergraduate students (73.6% male, 26.4% female) in Mallorca, Spain. The intervention involved 3- to 5-minute ABs over 10 weeks, with two breaks per week. The order of conditions (AB/without AB) was counterbalanced. A visual analogue scale was used at the beginning, middle and end of the class to assess relevant psychological determinants. Results: All mid-class measurements were significantly better in the AB condition compared to the condition without ABs. The AB condition had higher mean scores than the non-AB condition for motivation (7.07 vs 5.91), attention (6.83 vs 5.90) and mood (7.19 vs 6.41). The AB condition also showed less mental fatigue (4.80 vs 5.38). Conclusion: ABs are efficacious in improving attention, motivation and mood while reducing mental fatigue among university students. These beneficial effects seem to be immediate but temporary, suggesting that ABs should be integrated into classroom routines on an ongoing basis in order to maintain their impact on psychological performance.