Effects of Short Physical Activity Breaks on Thinking Skills After University Lectures in Undergraduate Students

Summary

The goal of this randomized crossover study is to evaluate whether brief Physical Activity Breaks (PABs), implemented immediately after lecture-based academic activity, can improve attentional processing and executive functioning in undergraduate university students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do OPAB or PABEx improve attentional and executive performance compared to a no-break control condition (NPAB)? Does PABEx provide superior cognitive benefits compared to OPAB?

Researchers will compare:

OPAB (a standardized 10-minute outdoor walking protocol) PABEx (a 10-minute exergame-based break using Fruit Ninja Kinect)

to see if these interventions improve cognitive performance compared to NPAB (supervised passive seated rest), and whether significant differences in cognitive outcomes emerge between OPAB and PABEx.

Participants will:

Complete cognitive assessments (Trail Making Test A-B and Stroop Color-Word Test) immediately after each condition.

Be randomly assigned, in counterbalanced order, to all three conditions across three consecutive weeks separated by a 7-day washout interval.

Engage in a 10-minute structured break (OPAB or PABEx) or passive rest (NPAB) following two consecutive hours of seated university lectures, including:

Warm-up (2 minutes): low-intensity dynamic movements. Main session (6 minutes): light-to-moderate outdoor walking (OPAB) or Fruit Ninja Kinect exergaming (PABEx).

Cool-down (2 minutes): relaxation and gentle stretching exercises.

This study will provide insights into the efficacy of brief active breaks as a pragmatic strategy to enhance cognitive efficiency in university students during academically demanding periods.

Conditions

• Cognitive Fatigue

Interventions

OTHER

Exergame-based Physical Activity Break

The PABEx condition consisted of a 10-minute non-immersive exergaming session structured into three phases: (i) Warm-up (2 min): the same dynamic warm-up used in OPAB. (ii) Exergame phase (6 min): participants played Fruit Ninja Kinect, standing at approximately 1.5-2.0 m from a television screen and using a Kinect motion-sensing controller to perform rapid upper-limb movements to slice virtual fruit, combining physical engagement with visuomotor coordination and sustained attentional demands. (iii) Cool-down (2 min): the same relaxation and stretching exercises used in OPAB. Although duration, game, setting, and instructions were standardized, physiological intensity was not objectively monitored and may have varied across individuals. Session duration, sequencing, supervision, and timing of cognitive testing were kept constant across all conditions.

OTHER

Outdoor Physical Activity Break

The OPAB condition consisted of a standardized 10-minute outdoor protocol structured into three phases: (i) Warm-up (2 min): low-intensity dynamic movements targeting major joints (ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders) combined with light marching in place. (ii) Walking phase (6 min): participants walked along a predefined outdoor route at approximately 4.5 km·h-¹, providing a light-to-moderate aerobic stimulus; exercise intensity was not objectively monitored. (iii) Cool-down (2 min): relaxation and gentle stretching exercises targeting lower-limb muscle groups and breathing regulation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Bari Aldo Moro

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Luca Poli, P.hd. · University of Bari Aldo Moro

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-03-10

Primary Completion

2025-04-22

Completion

2025-04-30

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations