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Physical activity and physical activity promotion in Germany - An overview
Sven Messing1,2, Leonie Birkholz2, Julian Resch2
1University of Limerick, Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Limerick, Ireland.
Journal of Health Monitoring
|December 19, 2025
Summary
Physical activity promotion in Germany faces challenges, with many initiatives lacking proven effectiveness. Expanding successful programs and evaluating routine practices are key to improving public health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Promotion
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- A significant portion of the German population is inactive, leading to adverse health and economic impacts.
- Systematic overviews of physical activity behavior and promotion strategies are scarce across various settings and sectors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze physical activity behavior and promotion practices in Germany.
- To differentiate between effective (good practice) and large-scale (routine practice) initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of four policy briefs on physical activity promotion in Germany (2022-2024).
- Secondary analysis of physical activity behavior data and mixed-methods analysis of promotion practices.
- Categorization of initiatives into 'good practice' (proven effectiveness) and 'routine practice' (large-scale programs).
Main Results:
- Lower physical activity levels observed in older adults, women, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and individuals with non-communicable diseases.
- 43 good practice projects demonstrated effectiveness, compared to only 11% of 88 routine practice measures.
- Good practice projects had lower reach (12%) and shorter duration (33%) than routine practices (25% reach, 9% duration).
Conclusions:
- Physical activity promotion requires intersectoral collaboration and stronger structural support.
- Expanding the reach of effective 'good practice' programs and systematically evaluating 'routine practice' effectiveness is crucial for population-level impact.
- The establishment of a National Competence Centre for Physical Activity Promotion presents a significant opportunity to advance these objectives.
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