Nine-minute classroom workouts could lift student performance, global study suggests
A new wave of research is turning a simple idea into a powerful classroom strategy: tiny bursts of exercise, lasting as little as nine minutes, can sharpen kids’ thinking and improve academic performance. In one recent study, children who did short, desk-side high-intensity interval workouts before taking tests performed better on verbal tasks and processed information more efficiently than peers who stayed seated. The workouts require little space, no special equipment, and can be slotted into the school day without major disruptions. For Thai educators facing crowded classrooms and pressure to lift learning outcomes, the message is clear: something as small as a brisk, structured movement break could yield outsized gains in concentration, memory, and test performance.