Psychological effects of a mindfulness intervention performed during the cool down in the Physical Education class: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

In recent years, stress levels in adolescents have increased progressively. Facing this problem, the practice of mindfulness is spreading in schools due to its numerous cognitive, social and emotional benefits. In this sense, the main world institutions suggest the importance of mindfulness in young people, especially in adolescents. Within the school curriculum, the subject of Physical Education represents an ideal scenario for activities of this nature, particularly in the section of contents that include relaxation and breathing, as well as in the cool down, common content of all the blocks. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of a mindfulness intervention developed within the cool down in Physical Education classes with 39 boys and girls in the 4th year of Secondary Education through two validated questionnaires: Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure and Mindfulness Scale. The results show that the experimental group, compared with the control group, obtained significant differences in the mindfulness skills, these being significant in the case of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure. Therefore, it is concluded that a brief mindfulness intervention in the physical education classroom can contribute to the psychological well-being of students.