Abstract

Introduction: The transition to higher education is often accompanied by the adoption of unhealthy habits, such as increased sedentary behavior, which negatively affect students’ mental health and well-being. Objective: To explore the feasibility of a classroom-based active break intervention and to examine its preliminary effects on depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, subjective well-being, and academic self-concept in higher education students. Methodology: A pilot feasibility study with random assignment to parallel groups was conducted. Twenty-three Physical Education Pedagogy students participated and were allocated to an intervention group (n = 11) and a control group (n = 12). The intervention consisted of brief bouts of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity delivered over eight weeks. Primary feasibility outcomes included retention, adherence, fidelity, intervention dose, acceptability, and safety. Results: Feasibility outcomes showed high retention (100%), moderate session attendance (66–75%), acceptable fidelity (12 of 16 sessions delivered), an appropriate intervention dose (6.7–18 minutes at moderate-to-vigorous intensity), good acceptability, and no adverse events, supporting the safety of the intervention. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, no significant changes were observed in depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, affect balance, academic self-concept, or objective academic performance. Discussion: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of classroom-based active breaks; however, it was limited by a small, homogeneous sample, lack of power calculation, and contextual constraints. These limitations restrict generalizability and highlight the need for larger and more diverse trials to confirm the preliminary findings and strengthen methodological rigor. Conclusions: Classroom-based active breaks were feasible and well accepted. Although no significant effects were observed, further research with larger samples is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.