At universities, we often talk about wellbeing, focus and performance — but what does that look like in practice, in a busy lecture theatre or a long meeting?
At Heriot-Watt University, Brain Breaks has shown that sometimes the smallest interventions can make the biggest difference.
Brain Breaks is an Active Wellbeing initiative designed to introduce short, inclusive movement breaks into teaching, learning and working environments. The idea is simple: brief, optional moments of movement that help reduce sedentary behaviour, support wellbeing, and improve concentration — without disrupting academic outcomes.
Why Brain Breaks?
Research consistently shows that movement breaks can:
- Reduce fatigue
- Improve wellbeing
- Enhance focus and productivity
- Support physical activity levels
Crucially, evidence also shows no detrimental impact on academic performance, giving educators confidence to embed movement into their sessions.
Brain Breaks were created to make this evidence actionable — turning research into something practical, accessible and scalable across the university.
What Are Brain Breaks?
Brain Breaks are short activities that can be done seated or standing and always come with clear messaging: “Please take part if this movement feels right for you.”
Activities include:
- Light movement such as marching on the spot
- Mobility and posture exercises
- Stretching to release tension
- Guided breathing exercises
All content is designed to be inclusive, requires no specialist equipment, and is openly licensed to encourage sharing and adoption.
The Impact So Far
During the past academic year, feedback was gathered through the University’s end of semester survey, with 1,841 respondents across all campuses, levels and schools.
The results speak for themselves:
- 67% reported a positive impact on their physical activity levels
- 80% said Brain Breaks positively impacted their wellbeing
- 79% felt Brain Breaks enhanced concentration, focus and productivity
These outcomes reinforce what we hoped to achieve: small, intentional pauses can meaningfully support both wellbeing and activity.
A Growing Initiative
What began as a small pilot quickly gained momentum. Content and toolkits were shared more widely, feedback was gathered from both students and academics, and Brain Breaks is now being rolled out more broadly as part of Active Wellbeing’s offer
The project has garnered lots of interest from the University network with conversations and potential collaboration with many Universities including, Liverpool John Moores, Roehampton, Imperial College London and Cambridge University.
The project has also:
- Encouraged new partnerships across the university
- Created opportunities for master’s and dissertation students
- Challenged us to think creatively about wellbeing in learning spaces
- Gained external recognition through academic awards
What’s Next?
Brain Breaks continues to evolve. Future plans focus on:
- Expanding reach across teaching and professional services
- Strengthening evaluation and impact data
- Supporting staff to confidently embed Brain Breaks into everyday practice
A Simple Call to Action
Wellbeing doesn’t always require large-scale programmes. Sometimes, it starts with one minute, one movement, one pause.
If you’re interested in learning more about Brain Breaks or how Active Wellbeing is embedding physical activity into university life, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact Active Wellbeing
Sarah Robertson – [email protected]
Jordan Moore – [email protected]