ACTIVITY PERMISSIVE CLASSROOMS
The National Heart Foundation recommends in Blueprint for an Active Australia (2019, p67) that Australian schools consider providing more activity permissive classrooms, including height-adjustable desks, to reduce prolonged periods of sitting for students and the associated negative impacts of sitting.
The Active Healthy Kids Australia’s 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Young People also included discussions about ways schools could incorporate more movement and less sitting in class times to improve health and learning outcomes, including active classroom furniture such as sit-to-stand desks which has been trialled by several Queensland teachers.
the power of movement in learning
The Aussie Active Desks vision to get kids standing, moving, engaging and achieving more is based on evidence about the power of movement and physical activity on learning. The following links too research, briefs, Ted Talks and graphics illustrate this powerful link.
Moving more at school - Increasing Physical Activity before, during and after school
Active Education: Growing evidence on physical activity and academic performance
Wendy Suzuki: The brain-changing benefits of exercise (13:04)
Wendy Suzuki: Exercise and the Brain (14:03)
Michael Kuczala: The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement (16:09)
Physical activity for children and young people
Lifetime benefits of physical activity – Girls make your move!
What are the health benefits of physical activity
The role of schools in promoting physical activity
Active lessons can boost children’s learning and health
