Classroom-based physical activity effects: a preliminary overview of previous research

A growing number of studies show that integrating exercise interventions (such as active breaks) into teaching is associated with physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits and improved cognitive performance in some disciplines, including mathematics. This paper presents a review of previous SRs and MAs that have addressed the topic, with particular references to mathematics and students with special educational needs. In addition to outlining the research trends regarding the introduction of physicalactivity interventions in instructional design, which have emerged from the evidence already summarized at the international and national levels, the effectiveness of different programs undertaken to implement physical activity in the classroom about the primary outcomes examined by the studies will be discussed.