Psychological Responses to Intermittent Physical Activity in Elementary School-Age Children

Abstract

It is well-established that intermittent physical activity has a positive impact on children’s physical health. However, less is known regarding the psychological outcomes associated with intermittent activity in children. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was two fold: (1) to examine the acute effects of intermittent physical activity on enjoyment and mood in children ages 7-11 years and (2) to determine the effects of exercise intensity on these psychological outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-nine children (18 males, 21 females; 33% overweight/obese; 59% non-white) completed four experimental conditions in random order: (1) 8 hours of sitting interrupted with 2-minute light-intensity activity breaks performed at 25% maximal heart rate (HRmax) every 18 minutes; (2) 8 hours of sitting interrupted with 2-minute moderate-intensity activity breaks (50% HRmax); (3) 8 hours of sitting interrupted with 2-minute high-intensity activity breaks (75% HRmax); and (4) 8 hours of sitting interrupted with 2 minutes of sedentary screen time. Throughout each condition, participants completed a total of 20 breaks. Enjoyment was assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale during each condition day. The Subjective Exercise Experience Scale was used to analyze pre-post changes in mood responses to physical activity. RESULTS: Enjoyment was significantly higher during the low- (4.4±0.1), moderate- (4.4±0.1), and high-intensity (4.3±0.1) conditions, compared to the sedentary condition (4.1±0.1; p’s<0.05). Positive well-being was significantly higher during the low- (23.0±0.8) and moderate-intensity (23.4±0.7) conditions compared to the sedentary condition (21.8±1.0; p’s<0.05). Fatigue was significantly higher during the moderate- (9.7±0.7) and high-intensity (10.1±0.9) conditions, compared to the sedentary condition (8.2±0.8; p’s<0.01). Psychological distress significantly decreased between pre-post measures for all conditions (5.8±0.21 vs. 5.3±0.19; p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest intermittent physical activity elicits short-term psychological benefits in children. Future research should determine whether these benefits are sustained with repeated sessions of intermittent physical activity.