Body Breaks, Outdoor

Activity, &
Concentration
 “In addition to bringing
physical and mental health
benefits, physical activity has
been used to prevent and
improve ADHD comorbidities”
(Silva et al., 2015)

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Definition of ADHD in the
DSM-5
ADHD is characterized by a persistent pattern of
inattention
and/or
Hyperactivity and impulsivity that interferes with
functioning or development.
(American Psychiatric Association, 2013)

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 My Initial Research
Question

Do body breaks lead to higher levels of concentration

among young students?

4
 Problems With This Research Question

● My students were not used to body breaks in class

○ May lead to more disruptive behaviour, excitement
● COVID-19
○ Small classroom
○ Not a lot of room to move around

5
 My New Research
Question

Does a lack of outdoor activity lead to lower levels of

concentration among young students?

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 Why I Chose This Research Question

Personal Interests Research Indoor Recesses

I’m personally I’ve read countless Extreme cold warnings
interested in finding studies about body were in the forecast.
ways to help students breaks and ADHD, so I Teachers often complain
who struggle with knew that my Action about the effects of
concentrating. I always Research would be indoor recesses on their
found it difficult to backed up by science. students. I wanted to see
concentrate as a child, if indoor recesses really
so this is something I did affect concentration.
relate to.

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What We Already Know
Scientific Research
 The Effects of Classroom Movement for University
Students (Peiris et al., 2021)

● In this study, students had a body break after the first 20

minutes of a 2 hour lecture.
○ Compared to students who did not have a body break,
those who had the chance to move their bodies were
more focused, and engaged in the lecture.
● Students preferred outdoor body breaks.
Peiris, C. L., O’Donoghue, G., Rippon, L., Meyers, D., Hahne, A., De Noronha, M., ... & Hanson, L. C. (2021). Classroom
Movement Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University
Classes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(11), 5589.

9
 Can Outdoor Play Lower ADHD Symptoms? (Faber
Taylor, & Kuo, 2011).

● In this study, researchers gathered data from the parents

of children with ADHD.
○ The questionnaire asked parents about their child’s
symptoms and how much time their child spent
outside.
● Children with ADHD who play outside had milder ADHD
symptoms
Faber Taylor, A., & Kuo, F. E. (2011). Could exposure to everyday green spaces help treat ADHD? Evidence from children's play
settings. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 3(3), 281-303.

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Conducting My Research
 Materials

● Notepad
● Pencil
● Chart

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 Method

● During the Math period (directly after recess), I observed 2 different students
○ I chose 2 students who are usually very disruptive and have trouble
concentrating.
● I observed these students on 4 different occasions.
○ After 2 indoor recess days
○ After 2 outdoor recess days
● On my chart, I recorded the number of times that these students…
○ Got out of their seat
○ Disrupted the teacher (by shouting out or talking to friends)
○ Were not paying attention (playing with other objects, etc)
● I compared the indoor recess days to outdoor recess days.

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Results
 Indoor Recess 1 Indoor Recess 2

Out of Seat Disruptions Focus is Out of Seat Disruptions Focus is

Elsewhere Elsewhere

Student A 3 times 2 times 4 times 4 times 3 times 3 times

Student B 2 times 0 times 5 times 3 times 2 times 4 times

Total for student A: Not focused 19 times

Total for student B: Not focused 16 times

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 Outdoor Recess 1 Outdoor Recess 2

Out of Seat Disruptions Focus is Out of Seat Disruptions Focus is

Elsewhere Elsewhere

Student A 1 time 2 times 2 times 1 time 0 times 2 times

Student B 2 times 0 times 3 times 1 time 1 time 2 times

Total for student A: Not focused 8 times

Total for student B: Not focused 9 times

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 Student A
Student A’s focus decreased by 57.89% when he/she spent all
3 recesses inside.

Student B
Student B’s focus decreased by 43.75% when he/she spent all
3 recesses inside.

On Average
Focus decreased by 50.82% when students could not go outside.

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We can conclude that outdoor
recesses are beneficial for
students who have trouble
concentrating.

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 Can Outdoor Play Lower ADHD Symptoms? (Faber
Taylor, & Kuo, 2011).

● My findings were similar to those found in this study.

○ My students were able to concentrate better when
they were able to go outside.
● My students were more calm, paid better attention to the
lesson, and were less disruptive.
Faber Taylor, A., & Kuo, F. E. (2011). Could exposure to everyday green spaces help treat ADHD? Evidence from children's play
settings. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 3(3), 281-303.

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 Why are these findings important?

As a future teacher, these findings will help me make important decisions

for students, such as…
● Not keep students inside when they misbehave
● Spend as much time outside as possible
● If it’s not possible to go outside, at least give students some type of
body break

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 My Next Steps

If I had the chance to observe students for a second time, I would…

● Assess if outdoor activity is beneficial for all students (not just those
who have problems concentrating)
● Assess my students’ feelings on outdoor vs indoor recesses

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 Additional Resources

Suzuki, W. (2017, October). The brain-changing benefits of exercise. [Video]. TED Conferences.
https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise

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 Additional Resources

Louv, R. (2013). Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from
Nature-Deficit Disorder. Atlantic Books.

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 References

American Psychiatric Association. Attention-deficit and disruptive behavior disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

Faber Taylor, A., & Kuo, F. E. (2011). Could exposure to everyday green spaces help treat ADHD? Evidence from children's play
settings. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 3(3), 281-303.

Louv, R. (2013). Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Atlantic Books.

Peiris, C. L., O’Donoghue, G., Rippon, L., Meyers, D., Hahne, A., De Noronha, M., ... & Hanson, L. C. (2021). Classroom Movement
Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University Classes: A
Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(11), 5589.

Silva, A. P., Prado, S. O., Scardovelli, T. A., Boschi, S. R., Campos, L. C., & Frère, A. F. (2015). Measurement of the effect of
physical exercise on the concentration of individuals with ADHD. PLoS One, 10(3), e0122119.

Suzuki, W. (2017, October). The brain-changing benefits of exercise. [Video]. TED Conferences.
https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise

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