The Active Mile Daily Track is a fun 15-minute physical activity program that encourages children to run, jog or walk in a safe and social setting at school. The program requires no equipment, lesson plans or special training and is 100% free for schools and families. The Daily Track is a great way to increase physical activity in primary school aged children and helps develop mental health & emotional wellbeing.

Teachers were positive about The Daily Mile and its potential to improve health-related outcomes, but a number of barriers were identified. These included a perceived negative impact on learning time and a lack of adequate all-weather running surfaces. Additionally, teachers were concerned that pupils did not have the appropriate footwear or weather gear to participate safely.

Maximizing Your Workouts: Combining Steps and Active Miles

This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with teachers to examine their perceptions of The Daily Mile and its implementation in their schools. The interviews were conducted in the teachers’ own schools by two researchers (one with experience of conducting interview studies for public health evaluations) and were recorded as transcribed text. The data were analyzed using interpretative thematic analysis.

The Daily Mile was perceived to be feasible by most of the teachers interviewed, although some did not feel that they had sufficient control over pupils’ behaviour. It was also thought to be beneficial to the whole school, as it is not restricted to opt-in groups like sports clubs. However, it was noted that more research is needed into how The Daily Mile might be able to reach more socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

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