School in Motion

Initiative Description: Additional PA sessions included twice a week “play and motion” activities that were completed in addition to the 2 hours of curricular physical activity. The activities lasted for 30‐45 minutes and were designed to be engaging, enjoyable, health promoting, and noncompetitive; the activities consisted of different sports and games with or without the use of equipment. These extra hours of physical activity were scheduled and mandatory for all children.

Study Results: The results of this study showed that a school‐based physical activity intervention program designed to make students more physically active during the school day significantly improved the children’s academic achievement.

Reference: Käll, L. B., Nilsson, M., & Lindén, T. (2014). The Impact of a Physical Activity Intervention Program on Academic Achievement in a Swedish Elementary School Setting. Journal of School Health, 84(8), 473–480. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12179

Level of Evidence: Good