The Active Mile Daily Track is a school-based physical activity program that involves children running, jogging or walking for around 15 minutes every day on their own, or with other pupils. It has been implemented in schools across the world and has helped improve the health, wellbeing and concentration levels of pupils.

The University of Stirling recently conducted a study investigating the effect of The Daily Mile on primary school children’s fitness levels and found that after doing their mile (at their own pace) they are more attentive in lessons, have better moods and improved overall fitness. The research was commissioned by Greater Manchester to mark their commitment to become the first Daily Mile City-Region.

The Role of Nutrition in Maximizing Your Daily Active Mile Count

Although previous studies have anecdotally reported benefits for the cognitive, behavior and wellbeing of pupils taking part in The Daily Mile, no previous investigations have assessed the physiological impact. This study, using gold standard measurement techniques, was able to identify that an improvement in children’s V.O2max (shuttle distance test) was associated with The Daily Mile intervention, but these changes were small.

It is important that further studies investigate the potential impact of school-based interventions like The Daily Mile on MVPA, sedentary time and body composition in order to maximize their public health benefit. These interventions are appealing because they involve whole classes, therefore potentially reaching a larger proportion of the population than opt-in groups like sports clubs. Additionally, they have the added advantage of breaking up sedentary time during the working day.