Implementing Daily Physical Activity in Middle School: A Randomized Feasibility Study

Introduction. Middle-school is associated with decreased physical activity (PA) and well-being. School-based PA may be a practical strategy for supporting adolescent physical activity, attentional control, and psychological well-being, but evidence on implementation is limited. Materials and Methods. This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of an in-school moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity program. In this randomized counterbalanced study, 40 middle-school students completed two weeks of daily 40-minute 1) moderate- to vigorous-intensity school-based exercise condition, 2) low-intensity stretching condition, and 3) control period, while wearing activity trackers and completing end-of-day well-being questionnaires. The Physical Activity Questionnaire-Children was administered at baseline, and participants wore a digital physical activity tracker throughout the study. Results. Mean participant age was 12.2 ± 0.9 yrs and BMI was 20.1 ± 4.3kg·m-2. At baseline, only 37% of participants were classified as “active.” The exercise program, which was led by a credential Physical Education teacher, was found to be highly feasible, with high recruitment (89%), attendance (93%), intervention fidelity, and retention (95%), and no adverse events. Intervention fidelity was confirmed by significantly more physical activity recorded during the exercise condition than the stretching or control conditions, as measured by heart rate (Exercise: 119 ± 11, Stretching 107 ± 7, Control: 91 ± 11 bpm, p < .001) and Total Intensity (Exercise: 68 ± 19, Stretching 42 ± 18, Control: 20 ± 6 Arbitrary Units, p < 0.01). The exercise condition also increased daily physical activity by over 1,700 steps per day compared to the control (Exercise: 9021±1989, Stretching: 8275 ± 2213, Control: 7292 ± 2171 steps/day, p<0.05). The exercise condition led to significantly higher attentional control scores (M = 51.0, SD = 7.8) than the control condition (M = 48.5, SD = 7.0; p<0.05). Conclusions. These findings indicate that schools can successfully implement daily in-school moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise programs with high student participation and adherence, which may enhance both daily physical activity and positive classroom learning behaviors. Longer studies should be done to evaluate the long-term impact of in-school exercise programming on academic performance and well-being among middle-school students.