{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T08:51:39Z","timestamp":1785919899585,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785888000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Munroe-Meyer Institute Guild Grant"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Many children, particularly those with disabilities, do not meet the recommended amount of physical activity per day, which can increase the likelihood of poor health outcomes. Beyond the potential health benefits, physical activity breaks are associated with increased academic engagement and decreased stereotypy and off-task behavior. It is important to increase periods of physical activity in naturalistic settings like schools. The purpose of this article is to describe two pilot studies that examined the feasibility of integrating exergaming bike breaks into daily school routines for students with disabilities. Across the studies, data were collected on physical fitness, mood, classroom behavior, and acceptability. In Study 1, 13 students ages 9\u201313 with autism participated in exergaming biking for 15 min, 3 days per week for 6 weeks. No significant differences were observed between ride and non-ride days for teacher-reported behaviors; however, researcher-observed disruptive behaviors were significantly lower on ride days. In Study 2, six students with disabilities ages 9\u201317 who had a behavior intervention plan participated in biking for 5 days per week for 10 weeks. There was a significant increase in the percentage of time students were on-task and a decrease in time students were reported to be disruptive based on teacher behavior reports. Physical fitness remained low following intervention. Overall, exergaming biking was an acceptable and engaging form of physical activity that can be integrated into students\u2019 daily routines. Use of the bikes was associated with some improvement in classroom behavior. We discuss implications for practice and recommendations for future research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16081344","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T08:14:46Z","timestamp":1785917686000},"page":"1344","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["An Active Approach to Behavior: Exergaming Bike Breaks for Students with Disabilities"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6721-8659","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Kupzyk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Heidi K.","family":"Reelfs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Therapy, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68106, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kevin","family":"Kupzyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"431","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0000000000000452","article-title":"Physical activity interventions for children with social, emotional, and behavioral disabilities\u2014A systematic review","volume":"38","author":"Ash","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1080\/01942638.2016.1261981","article-title":"Normative two-minute walk test distances for boys and girls 3 to 17 years of age","volume":"38","author":"Bohannon","year":"2018","journal-title":"Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.1111\/jar.12961","article-title":"Effects of physical activity on behaviour and emotional problems, mental health and psychosocial well-being in children and adolescents with intellectual disability: A systematic review","volume":"35","author":"Borland","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e24566","DOI":"10.2196\/24566","article-title":"The adaptive GameSquad Xbox-based physical activity and health coaching intervention for youth with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses: Pilot feasibility study","volume":"5","author":"Bowling","year":"2021","journal-title":"JMIR Formative Research"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20161985","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2016-1985","article-title":"Cyberbiking effects on classroom behavior in children with behavioral health disorders: An RCT","volume":"139","author":"Bowling","year":"2017a","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mhpa.2017.03.005","article-title":"Dose-response effects of exercise on behavioral health in children and adolescents","volume":"12","author":"Bowling","year":"2017b","journal-title":"Mental Health and Physical Activity"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.1249\/TJX.0000000000000008","article-title":"Implementation fidelity of a cyberbiking curriculum among children with behavioral health disorders","volume":"1","author":"Bowling","year":"2016","journal-title":"Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100881","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dhjo.2019.100881","article-title":"Physical activity guideline compliance among a national sample of children with various developmental disabilities","volume":"13","author":"Case","year":"2020","journal-title":"Disability and Health Journal"},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019, September 11). 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