More Than Just "Getting the Wiggles Out"

Why Purposeful Movement Breaks Matter in School-Based Occupational Therapy

"Movement isn't a break from learning—it can be part of learning."

Walk into almost any elementary classroom today, and you'll probably see students taking a quick "brain break." Maybe they're doing jumping jacks, stretching, dancing to a GoNoodle video, or pretending to be animals as they move across the room. These movement breaks have become increasingly popular in schools, but they're also commonly misunderstood.

Many people assume movement breaks simply help children "burn off energy" or "get the wiggles out." While movement certainly gives students an opportunity to be active, research suggests that purposeful movement can do much more. When thoughtfully planned and incorporated into the school day, movement breaks can improve attention, self-regulation, classroom participation, and ultimately support students' ability to access their education.

As occupational therapists, we also have an important responsibility to distinguish between strategies that are popular and strategies that are supported by evidence. Movement breaks have become increasingly common with the rise of online "brain break" videos and classroom exercise programs. While many teachers already recognize the value of giving students opportunities to move, school-based occupational therapists bring a unique perspective by helping determine when, why, and how movement can best support a student's participation in educational activities. Our recommendations should always be guided by the student's occupational needs and educational goals rather than simply following trends.

What Are Movement Breaks?

Movement breaks are short periods of planned physical activity intentionally built into the school day. Most last anywhere from two to ten minutes and may include activities such as stretching, yoga, animal walks, marching, balance activities, cross-body movements, wall push-ups, or classroom exercise routines.

Unlike recess or free play, movement breaks have a purpose. They are used to help students prepare their bodies and minds for learning.

Sometimes movement is used to help students become more alert after sitting for an extended period. Other times, movement may help students organize their bodies before completing a writing assignment, improve attention before a challenging academic task, or provide a brief reset during longer periods of instruction. The activities themselves are often simple, but when they are intentionally matched to a student's needs and classroom routines, they can become powerful supports for participation.

School-Based OT Is About Participation

One of the biggest misconceptions about occupational therapy in schools is that our job is simply to improve skills like handwriting, strength, balance, or coordination. While those skills certainly matter, they are not the ultimate goal.

The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4) reminds us that our role is to support participation in meaningful occupations. For students, their primary occupation is learning. Our interventions should always help students participate more successfully in the educational environment rather than focusing only on remediating isolated skills or impairments (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2020).

This perspective also aligns with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which emphasizes providing students with access to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Rather than asking, "How do we fix this student?" school-based occupational therapists ask, "What supports will help this student successfully participate in classroom routines?"

Movement breaks are one example of an environmental support that can help remove barriers to participation. Rather than focusing solely on improving body functions or motor skills, movement breaks should always be considered in terms of whether they help the student participate more successfully in classroom routines, academic tasks, and school occupations.

Why Does Movement Help Learning?

One question parents and teachers often ask is, "Why does moving around help students focus?"

The answer is more complex than simply allowing children to release extra energy. Physical movement increases blood flow, stimulates multiple areas of the brain, and provides opportunities for students to shift their attention before returning to academic tasks. Research has found that short bouts of movement are associated with improvements in attention, executive functioning, classroom engagement, and academic performance, particularly when students have been sitting for extended periods (Norris et al., 2020; Watson & Timperio, 2017).

Movement also provides opportunities to practice balance, bilateral coordination, motor planning, postural control, and body awareness while participating alongside peers. From an occupational therapy perspective, these skills are not the end goal. Instead, they become tools that support successful participation in the occupations of school, including handwriting, classroom routines, transitions, group activities, and learning.

The Occupational Therapist's Unique Role

Many educators already use movement breaks in their classrooms. So what makes the occupational therapist's role different?

Occupational therapists look beyond the movement itself. We evaluate how the student, the task, and the classroom environment interact to influence participation.

For example, two students may both appear restless during independent work. One student may benefit from heavy work activities before writing, while another may simply need a brief opportunity to stand and stretch. A third student may not need additional movement at all but instead require environmental modifications, visual supports, or changes to the task itself.

This individualized clinical reasoning is where occupational therapy adds value. This is also why movement breaks should not simply be prescribed because a student has a particular diagnosis. Instead, occupational therapists use evaluation findings, classroom observations, teacher input, and student performance to determine whether movement is likely to improve educational participation.

Rather than recommending the same movement activity for every child, school-based OTs collaborate with teachers to identify:

• When participation tends to decrease throughout the school day

• Which types of movement best support a student's attention and regulation

• How movement can naturally fit into classroom routines without disrupting instruction

• Whether movement is improving educational participation and classroom performance

Occupational therapists also help schools avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Through observation, collaboration, and ongoing monitoring, we determine whether movement is actually improving participation or whether other supports may be more appropriate. This collaborative problem-solving helps ensure recommendations remain educationally relevant and aligned with the student's educational goals.

Best Practices for Implementing Movement Breaks

Research suggests that movement breaks are most effective when they are planned intentionally rather than used only after students become dysregulated.

Some practical recommendations include:

• Schedule movement proactively throughout the school day.

• Keep activities brief, typically between two and ten minutes.

• Incorporate whole-class movement whenever possible to reduce stigma.

• Match activities to classroom demands and student needs.

• Collaborate with teachers to identify times when students struggle most with attention or participation.

• Monitor whether movement is improving classroom performance and adjust strategies as needed.

Collecting simple data, such as changes in attention, time on task, work completion, or transition success, can help determine whether movement breaks are effectively supporting the student's educational performance.

Examples of Purposeful Movement Breaks

Purposeful movement does not require expensive equipment or lengthy activities. Many effective movement breaks can be completed within the classroom using minimal materials. Examples include:

• Animal walks to promote bilateral coordination and upper body strengthening

• Cross-body movements to encourage bilateral integration

• Chair yoga or stretching between lessons

• Wall push-ups before handwriting activities

• Balance activities while reviewing spelling words or math facts

• Whole-class movement games that reinforce academic concepts

The goal is not simply to increase physical activity. The goal is to improve participation in meaningful educational occupations.

Final Thoughts

Movement breaks are far more than an opportunity for students to "get their wiggles out." When implemented purposefully, they can support attention, self-regulation, classroom engagement, and access to learning for many students.

As school-based occupational therapists, we have the opportunity to help educators move beyond one-size-fits-all strategies by using clinical reasoning to determine when, why, and how movement can best support student participation. Sometimes the most meaningful intervention is not another worksheet or therapy activity—it is helping a student become ready to learn.

One of the greatest strengths of school-based occupational therapy is helping educators see participation differently. Sometimes improving classroom participation does not require longer therapy sessions or expensive equipment. Instead, it requires thoughtful collaboration, clinical reasoning, and small environmental changes that allow students to engage more successfully throughout their school day.

Perhaps instead of asking, "Does this student need a movement break?" we should ask, "How can purposeful movement help this student participate more successfully in the occupations of school?"

Quick Takeaways

✔ Movement breaks are most effective when they are planned—not reactive.

✔ Every student doesn't need the same movement strategy.

✔ Collaboration between teachers and occupational therapists leads to the best outcomes.

✔ The goal isn't simply more movement—it's improved participation, attention, and access to learning.

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), 7412410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001

Norris, E., Shelton, N., Dunsmuir, S., Duke-Williams, O., & Stamatakis, E. (2020). Physically active lessons as physical activity and educational interventions: A systematic review of methods and results. Preventive Medicine, 137, 106109. 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.12.027

Watson, A., Timperio, A., Brown, H., Best, K., & Hesketh, K. D. (2017). Effect of classroom-based physical activity interventions on academic and physical activity outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 114. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0569-9