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A Time‐Centred Perspective on Classroom‐Based Physical Activity
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

A Time‐Centred Perspective on Classroom‐Based Physical Activity

Fabian Herold, Myrto F. Mavilidi, Spyridoula Vazou, Valentin Benzing, Ricardo Martins, Florian Bähr, Caterina Pesce and Sebastian Ludyga
European journal of education, Vol.61(3), pp.1-27
09/2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70752
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Education Publications
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Abstract

acute exercise brain education physically active learning sedentary behaviour
Schools are recognized as a key setting for preventing physical inactivity–related health issues early in life. Despite schools offering a rich set of opportunities to integrate physical activity (PA) without disadvantages for learning, those opportunities are often underutilized in ‘traditional’ educational environments where PA is primarily restricted to physical education classes, with children and adolescents typically remaining sedentary during academic lessons. However, there is a growing interest in how integrating PA in classrooms can benefit children's health and cognition. In this context, we propose a novel perspective for promoting classroom‐based PA by integrating established frameworks focusing on (i) time as a central element for school learning, (ii) the PA dose, type and context, and (iii) interrupting prolonged sitting with brief bouts of acute PA. This novel time‐centred perspective provides a conceptual foundation for advancing research practices on classroom‐based PA to enhance the translation of scientific evidence into effective, real‐world educational practices.

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