Effectiveness of a 10-Minute Walking Break for Mental Fatigue Recovery Among University Students During Academic Activities
Keywords:
academic activities, cognitive recovery, mental fatigue, university students, walking breakAbstract
Background: Mental fatigue is a common problem among university students due to prolonged academic activities that require sustained cognitive effort and are often accompanied by sedentary behavior. Persistent mental fatigue may negatively affect attention, learning performance, and overall well-being. Therefore, identifying practical and accessible recovery strategies is essential. Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a 10-minute walking break on mental fatigue recovery among university students during academic activities. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was employed. The study was conducted at a university in Bojonegoro Regency, Indonesia, from December 2025 to February 2026 and involved 60 undergraduate students selected through purposive sampling. Participants were assigned to either a walking-break intervention group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). Mental fatigue was assessed using the Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS) before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro–Wilk normality tests, paired-sample t-tests, and independent-sample t-tests with a significance level of p < 0.05 using SPSS software. Results: The results showed that the walking-break group experienced a significantly greater reduction in mental fatigue scores (mean reduction = 5.90 points) compared with the control group (mean reduction = 1.20 points) (p < 0.001). The intervention produced a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 3.06), indicating substantial practical benefits. Conclusion: In conclusion, a 10-minute walking break is an effective and feasible strategy for promoting mental fatigue recovery among university students during academic activities. The novelty of this study lies in its examination of a brief, low-intensity walking intervention as a practical recovery strategy specifically targeting mental fatigue among university students in an academic setting.
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