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Instant Recess® : a practical tool for increasing physical activity during the school day . BACKGROUND An increased prevalence of overweight/obesity among children has led to school district level policies to increase physical activity ( PA ) among elementary school students . Interventions are needed that increase activity levels without sacrificing time spent in academics . OBJECTIVES We evaluated a policy implementation intervention for to increase in-school PA in elementary schools in Forsyth County , North Carolina , in a randomized study with a delayed intervention control group . METHODS The study included third- through fifth-grade classrooms in eight elementary schools . Instant Recess® was used to introduce 10-minute PA breaks in classrooms on schedules determined by teachers . Direct observation was used to measure activity levels , other student behaviors , and teacher behaviors related to PA in the classrooms . RESULTS Twenty-eight visits to schools were made during the spring and fall semesters of 2009 . At baseline 11 % to 44 % of intervention and control schools were engaged in classroom-based PA. PA increased from baseline to spring follow-up in intervention schools and was maintained the following fall . Control schools decreased PA from baseline to spring and increased PA once they began the intervention . Students in classrooms engaged in Instant Recess exhibited statistically significant increases in light ( 51 % ) and moderate-intensity ( 16 % ) PA and increases in time spent in on-task behavior ( 11 % ) . Control schools experienced similar benefits after they began implementing Instant Recess . CONCLUSIONS Instant Recess is useful for increasing PA and improving behavior among elementary school children . Additional research may be needed to understand how to create policies supporting classroom activity breaks and how to assess policy adherence .
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Outcome_Physical
physical activity