Psychological effects of different active break modalities during university classes

Introduction: Despite growing evidence of the benefits of active breaks, research in university populations remains limited. Objective: To investigate the impact of various active break types on motivation, attention, mood, and mental fatigue in university students. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design with repeated pre- and post-test measurements was conducted. Participants were undergraduate students with a mean age of 19.86 years (SD = 1.62). They attended 10 weeks of sessions that either incorporated or omitted short active breaks lasting 3–5 minutes. These breaks included active games, yoga-based stretching, high-intensity interval exercises, and dance routines. The outcomes: mood, mental fatigue, attention, and motivation, were assessed using Visual Analogue Scales administered at three time points during each session. Linear mixed-effects models and Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons were performed. Results: Analyses showed significant Condition × Time interactions for motivation (p