Feasibility of a school-based peer-led high-intensity interval training intervention : the Young Fitness Leaders project

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Weston, Kathryn and Burn, Naomi L. and Goroski, Alexis and Weston, Matthew and Galna, Brook and Glossop, Rosie and Patterson, Maddey and Batten, Hannah and Gordon, Alfie and Basterfield, Laura (2026) Feasibility of a school-based peer-led high-intensity interval training intervention : the Young Fitness Leaders project. BMC Public Health, 26 (1). ISSN 1471-2458 (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-26543-w)

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Abstract

Introduction While school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has demonstrated efficacy for improving adolescents’ physical and mental health, interventions have largely been researcher-led, which limits scalability. This could be resolved via peer-led programmes, whereby older pupils (i.e., peer-leaders) deliver HIIT to younger pupils (i.e., peer-recipients). We aimed to explore the feasibility of a school-based peer-led HIIT intervention. Methods Using a non-randomised controlled trial design, 44 Year 7 pupils (aged 12.1 ± 0.3 years [mean ± SD]) were recruited from one school in Northeast England, with 21 (8 girls) allocated as peer-recipients to an 8-week HIIT intervention, and 23 (17 girls) as controls. Five Year 12-13 pupils (aged 17.3 ± 0.4 years) were recruited as peer-leaders and received training on school-based HIIT based on boxing and whole-body exercises. Peer-leaders then delivered twice weekly HIIT sessions during morning tutor time. Primary outcomes were recruitment, retention, attendance and acceptability (explored in post-intervention focus groups with peer-recipients, peer-leaders and teachers). Secondary outcomes included intervention fidelity (via researcher field note observations and heart rate monitoring), and preliminary impact on physical fitness and psychological outcomes. Results Recruitment was 72% (21/29 eligible pupils), 74% (23/31) and 42% (5/12) for peer-recipients, controls and peer-leaders, respectively. All control participants completed the study; one peer-leader left the school, and two peer-recipients withdrew (94% overall retention). Intervention attendance (expressed as percentage of scheduled sessions) was 73±31%. The intervention was generally well-received by peer-recipients, peer-leaders and teachers. The mean peak heart rate across all repetitions was 76% of age-predicted maximal, with a between- and within-participant variability of 6% points and 8% points, respectively. For the physical fitness and psychological outcomes, intervention effect directions were inconsistent and effect estimates imprecise. Conclusions Peer-led HIIT may represent a scalable and feasible school-based physical activity model from a recruitment, retention, attendance and acceptability perspective. However, intervention heart rates and session observations suggest HIIT activities were not always delivered and performed as intended, which could limit intervention effectiveness in larger-scale trials. Future iterations of peer-led HIIT programmes should focus on refining intervention delivery by providing an enhanced training and support package for peer-leaders.

ORCID iDs

Weston, Kathryn ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5918-6389, Burn, Naomi L., Goroski, Alexis, Weston, Matthew, Galna, Brook, Glossop, Rosie, Patterson, Maddey, Batten, Hannah, Gordon, Alfie and Basterfield, Laura;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)