Active Breaks and Cognitive Performance in Pupils: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of interventions using active breaks (ABs) in the school setting to identify the key characteristics (duration of the AB, intensity and type of activities) that an active break needs to have to deliver greater cognitive performance, such as concentration and attention in pupils. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA method with the following inclusion criteria: a) studies published between 2010 and 2020 (both inclusive), b) written in Spanish or English, c) active breaks as the main topic, d) articles written in the school setting. The Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed databases were queried. A total of 19 articles were included, all of them showing improvements in pupils' attention and concentration after the implementation of an active break intervention programme in a school setting. The significant influence of the intervention duration, type and intensity variables on the improvement of pupils' cognitive performance was observed. Finally, it was concluded that greater benefits were found in active breaks with a short duration, vigorous intensity and through an activity with a higher cognitive load.