Feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of physically active lessons in secondary education: ACTIVE CLASS pilot study

Introduction: the aim of this study was to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a physically active learning (PAL) intervention (ACTIVE CLASS pilot study) to improve physical health and cognitive and academic performance, increase physical activity (PA) levels, and reduce sedentary time (ST) in adolescents, and to analyze the distribution of activity intensity during a PAL lesson and assess differences with physical education lessons. Methods: a quasi-experimental study was conducted including 77 students aged 12-14 yr from two Spanish secondary schools. The ACTIVE CLASS pilot program consisted of integrating a weekly PAL lesson into mathematics lessons for 4 wk. Changes in body composition (body mass index and waist circumference), physical fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness), executive functions (inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility), and mathematical fluency were measured. Accelerometer-based ST and PA were measured in the intervention group. The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention were assessed using self-reported questionnaires for teachers and students. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to test the effects of the intervention. Results: there were no significant improvements in body composition, fitness, and cognitive and academic performance when comparing the intervention and control groups. The inclusion of the PAL intervention significantly increased average PA levels and reduced ST during the school day, and no significant differences were found in accelerometer-based variables between physical education and PAL lessons. In fact, PAL lessons could provide up to 17 min of moderate/vigorous PA. In addition, teachers and students reported good feasibility and acceptability of the PAL intervention. Conclusion: the findings support further research with a longer-term intervention and a larger sample size to determine the true potential of PAL for adolescents' physical health, cognition, and academic performance.