Introduction: The objective of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of novel physical activity approaches, namely the ‘Daily Mile’ and ‘Active Breaks,’ on the health indicators of primary school children.
Materials and Methods: The statistical population consisted of 8–10-year-old boys and girls in the city of Nourabad during the 2023–2024 academic year. A total of 386 students were selected using a multistage cluster sampling method and were randomly assigned to three groups: two intervention groups (Daily Mile and Active Breaks) and a control group. Each intervention was implemented over eight weeks, three days per week, in 24 sessions of 15 minutes each. Well-being indicators—including body mass, body fat percentage, visceral fat, skeletal–muscular index, and basal metabolic rate—were assessed using an InBody device at three time points: pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and independent t-tests via SPSS version 23.
Results: The findings indicated that both interventions led to significant improvements in body fat percentage, muscle mass, and basal metabolic rate compared to the control group. Between-group comparisons showed that the Daily Mile group was superior in reducing body fat percentage and visceral fat. Furthermore, gender differences revealed higher skeletal–muscular index and basal metabolic rate values among boys.
Conclusion: Overall, the results clearly demonstrate that incorporating short bouts of physical activity into daily school routines can be an effective strategy for promoting general health, reducing metabolic risk factors, and preventing physical inactivity in children.