Active Study Break: Five-Minute Chair Routine
A routine of gentle mobility and stretches you can do sitting in your study chair, designed to break up long stretches in front of a screen or notes. Students learn it as a cool-down and write it down to use at home every 45 to 50 minutes of studying.
How to play
- Sitting with the back off the backrest and feet flat, check the study setup: screen at eye level and elbows at 90 degrees (1 min).
- Neck and eyes: slow side tilts, chin tucks and looking into the distance for 20 seconds (2 min).
- Back: seated twists with a hand on the backrest, cat-cow in the chair and a chest stretch with hands behind (2 min).
- Hips and legs: figure-four glute stretch and knee extension with the foot flexed (2 min).
- Each student writes the routine on the card and when they'll fit it into their study schedule (1 min).
Rules
- Movements are slow, with no bouncing.
- The chair must be stable, with no loose wheels, before starting.
- If a movement causes pain, swap it for another one on the card.
Variations
Easier
Only the neck, eye and back exercises.
Standard
The full five-minute chair routine.
Harder
Each pair creates its own version with a new exercise and teaches it to another pair.
Adaptations
- Wheelchair users: do the routine in their chair with the brakes on and adapt the leg exercises.
- Visual impairment: the teacher describes each movement with specific body landmarks.
- Back injury: skip the twists and keep only the pain-free movements.
Learning goals
- Learn a simple active break routine for studying.
- Check posture and the study setup.
- Plan active breaks into a personal schedule.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cards: 30
Teacher tip
Share the routine with other teachers to use in long classes or during exam season.
PatioLab has "Active Study Break: Five-Minute Chair Routine" and 5176 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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