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In Conversation With... Dr Alice Cline, Founder and Behavioural Scientist

At the start of September, Busy Brain Breaks launched a trial to test their newly developed online platform! We sat down with our Founder, Dr Alice Cline, to hear more about where Busy Brain Breaks came from, and where it’s going!

 

What inspired you to start Busy Brain Breaks?


I wasn’t ever a ‘sporty’ child – I found physical activity in my late teens and I was amazed at the positive impact it had on my mental and physical health. I went on to become a qualified personal trainer, so I could help others to find their love for physical activity like I had. Once I’d finished my BSc, I pursued an MSc in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health so that I could help improve health outcomes at a population level. Through my degrees, I learnt more and more about the benefits of physical activity, and I was shocked at how many children and adults weren’t meeting the recommended amount of physical activity per day! When I started my PhD, my aim was to increase levels of physical activity for children in Gloucestershire, which lead me to develop Busy Brain Breaks!

 

How has Busy Brain Breaks developed over time?


In 2019, we implemented our first trial which involved 28 classrooms in Gloucestershire. Each classroom received our physical activity videos, in addition to physical resources such as activity trackers, most improved mover of the week certificates and progression/regression charts. Last year, we were awarded a grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, which allowed us to develop an online platform. This has allowed us to reach more classrooms, in a more sustainable way!

 

What’s happening with Busy Brain Breaks right now?


Right now, we’re in the middle of our second trial which involves testing our new online platform. We’re working with 20 primary-schools across the South West who have access to our platform, physical activity videos and resources too. Towards the end of the year, we’ll be working with each school to gather feedback, so we can continue to improve both our platform and our offer to schools!

 

What exactly is a ‘Busy Brain Break’?


A Busy Brain Break is a short-bout of physical activity, that might be 5-minutes of body weight movements, or a quick yoga flow. Whatever the movement is, a Busy Brain Break is short, straight-forward and easy to implement inside the classroom. The aim is to help break up the amount of time children spend sitting down, whilst increasing levels of physical activity and developing movement ability. To help encourage engagement and increase motivation, we use things like goal setting, progress tracking and school leadership boards.

 

Why is it important to incorporate movement into the school day, especially in primary schools?


Physical activity is crucial for children’s physical health, but it also plays a vital role in their cognitive and emotional development. Movement helps children improve concentration, reduces fidgeting, and boosts their readiness to learn. For primary school students, who are often still developing fundamental movement skills, regular activity can also help them build confidence in their physical abilities and foster a lifelong love of movement!

 

How do you ensure that Busy Brain Breaks are evidence-based and effective for children’s physical and mental well-being?


Every aspect of Busy Brain Breaks is grounded in scientific research, particularly from the fields of behavioural and sport and exercise sciences. We use data from our trials and continuous feedback from schools to ensure the videos effectively increase physical activity, improve movement skill competency, and enhance mental focus and confidence. We also draw on research around the benefits of short movement breaks for cognitive function and classroom engagement.

 

What have you learned from working both children and teachers, and how has that shaped the way you develop new content for Busy Brain Breaks?


One of the biggest things we’ve learned is that children respond best to activities that are fun, varied, and achievable. We’ve also seen how much children benefit from breaks that combine both physical movement and mental relaxation. These insights have led us to create content that is engaging, accessible for all ability levels, and balanced between energetic exercises and calming mindfulness activities. From teachers, I’ve learnt that the school-day goes by in a flash! Anyone who works with children on a regular basis knows that physical activity is important for development, but it’s finding the time to do it! That’s why we worked closely with teaching staff to understand the barriers to implementing physical activity inside the classroom, developing something that was quick and easy to implement.  

 

How can schools get involved?


Email me! We’re always looking for new schools to work with, so if you’re interested please do drop me an email info@busybrainbreaks.com.

 

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