Physical activity as part of teaching

Teaching methods that incorporate physical activity reduce sedentary time and increase daily movement without reducing the time available for learning. These methods activate students both cognitively and physically, and their primary goal is to help students learn.

Learn more about this topic by watching Minna Huotilainen's (Professor of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki) lecture (duration 20 minutes). The lecture is in Finnish, but you can add English subtitles by pressing the settings button in the lower right corner of the video.

Students leave the classroom and go out into the corridors or courtyard

• Group or pair discussions on the topic at hand while walking. Agree on a return time and then debrief the discussions together.
• Concept or review walks, where concepts or questions related to the topic are discussed with a partner or group.
• Orientation to the topic being studied or deepening of knowledge by listening to a podcast related to the topic. In the advance instructions, it is good to note that students should prepare for the situation by wearing clothing suitable for outdoor activities and bringing a phone and headphones that are sufficiently charged.
• Students can follow remote lectures while on the move if they are informed in advance whether they can listen to the lesson or part of it while walking.

Opinion line

• The teacher reads the statement. The students form a line in the classroom so that those who agree stand closer to one wall and those who disagree stand closer to the other wall. Those who wish to do so can justify their opinion. In a cramped classroom, the exercise can be done vertically: those who agree reach toward the ceiling, while those who disagree reach toward the floor.
• The line can also be used for self-assessment (I am excellent at this – I still need a lot of practice).

Answering with your own body movements

• Multiple choice: Come up with movements for answer options A, B, and C (e.g., A = reaching toward the ceiling, B = stretching your legs, C = rotating your shoulders).
• True / false: If you think the teacher's statement is true, stretch a limb on the right side of your body. If you think the statement is false, stretch the left side.

Studying in different places

• Task stations are placed around the classroom, which students visit either alone or in groups. There may also be stations outside the classroom.
• In a gallery walk, participants move around in groups to view the work on display, such as mind maps, drawings, visual presentations, or posters created by the groups. The groups provide feedback, comment, and develop the work.
• In the jigsaw method, participants are divided into home groups and expert groups. Each student familiarizes themselves with a specific topic in the expert group and then teaches it to the members of their home group.

Pair discussions while standing in different ways

• Discuss the topic in pairs while standing.
• Students move around the room while music is playing. When the music stops, pair up with the nearest student and exchange thoughts on the topic at hand. This method can also be used for getting to know each other.
• The students form two concentric circles, with the inner circle facing outwards and the outer circle facing inwards, so that everyone has a partner in front of them. The pairs discuss a selected question for about a minute. After this, the people in the outer circle take a step to the left, giving everyone a new partner. If the classroom does not allow for a circle, two rows of chairs can be turned to face each other.
  
  

Drama exercises

• Simulate professional situations, for example, using drama to empathize with different roles.
• Create short plays, instructional videos, news broadcasts, etc. to illustrate the phenomenon or topic being taught.

Watching videos while standing

• Whenever a video is shown during a lecture or class, it should be watched while standing.

No table service

• Students collect their own work materials / handouts
• Assignment checkpoints are located in different parts of the classroom

Hyvinvointia tukevat pedagogiset ratkaisut osana opetusta -koulutus (TULOSSA TAMMIKUUSSA -26)

Koulutuksessa käydään läpi erilaisia fyysisen aktivoinnin menetelmiä, joita osallistuja voi hyödyntää omassa opetuksessa. Aktivoivat menetelmät monipuolistavat opetusta ja edistävät opiskelijoiden hyvinvointia, oppimista ja osallisuutta. Osallistuja saa käytännönläheisiä vinkkejä ja työkaluja istumisen tauottamiseen ja liikkeen sisällyttämiseen osaksi opetusta. Koulutuksen esimerkit soveltuvat erityisesti kontaktiopetukseen perinteisissä (ei muunneltavissa olevissa) opetustiloissa.

Vaihtoehtoiset ajankohdat: ma 12.1.2026 klo 14.15-15.30 tai ti 13.1.2026 klo 14.15-15.30

Paikka: kokoustila Timjami Hilla Gardenissa

Ilmoittautuminen: Lisätietoa tulossa syksyn aikana!

Training is only in Finnish at the moment.

Felez-Nobrega, M., Hillman, C. H., Dowd, K. P., Cirera, E., Puig-Ribera, A. (2018). ActivPAL^TM determined sedentary behaviour, physical activity and academic achievement in college students. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(20), 2311–2316. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1451212

Hansen, A. (2017). The Real Happy Pill. Power Up Your Brain by Moving Your Body. Skyhorse Publishing.

Hosteng, K. R., Reichter, A. P., Simmering, J. E., & Carr, L. J. (2019). Uninterrupted Classroom Sitting is Associated with Increased Discomfort and Sleepiness Among College Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(14), 2498. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142498

Lynch, J., O’Donoghue, G., Peiris, C. L. (2022). Classroom Movement Breaks and Physically Active Learning Are Feasible, Reduce Sedentary Behaviour and Fatigue, and May Increase Focus in University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7775. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137775

Rupp, R., Dold, C., Bucksch, J. (2022). Physically active university teaching: introduction to the Heidelberg model of physically active teaching. Springer Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-38679-5

Rupp, R., Wallmann‑Sperlich, B., Bucksch, J. (2025). Strategies and barriers to implementing physically active teaching in universities from the perspective of lecturers: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 25, 855. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22075-x

Finnish Student Sports Federation: Movement drives Achy away

FSHS: Moving for a better studying ability -model