The Daily Track is an established and effective school-based physical activity programme for children that involves them leaving the classroom to run or walk around a pre-defined route within the school grounds that on average is equivalent to around a mile. It is undertaken in lesson time, does not require any change of clothing or equipment and can be done in all weather conditions. Teachers have reported that it is easy to implement and a welcome break from the classroom and anecdotal evidence suggests it improves behaviour and wellbeing.More info:https://activemiledailytrack.co.uk/
Low levels of physical activity, high sedentary time and declining fitness are common problems worldwide and have been linked to poor health and inequalities in health. This quasi-experimental pilot study compared the impact on physical activity, sedentary time, fitness and body composition of primary school children at two schools; one with intention to start the Daily Mile and the other with no intention to do so. Children were assessed at baseline and at follow-up using accelerometers, a 20-m shuttle run fitness test and skinfold measurements.
Exploring the Psychological Impact of Daily Active Mile Tracking
Results from the accelerometer-based analyses showed that in the intervention school taking part in The Daily Mile was associated with a small but significant increase in daily MVPA and a reduction in sedentary time, after correction for age, gender, and socioeconomic grouping. The improvements in the 20-m shuttle run fitness test and adiposity measured by skinfolds were also statistically significant but smaller in magnitude.
A survey designed in accordance with feasibility studies guidelines was completed by teachers at the two participating schools at the end of the study period. It investigated six outcomes mostly relating to the acceptability of The Daily Mile (Table 1).