Physical activity and physical activity promotion in Germany – An overview

Abstract

Background: Regular physical activity is essential for health, yet a large proportion of the German population remains inactive, with significant health and economic consequences. As physical activity promotion spans multiple settings and political sectors, systematic overviews of available data on behaviour and promotion practices are often lacking. Methods: This article draws on four policy briefs on physical activity promotion in Germany published by the Federal Ministry of Health (2022 – 2024). Data on physical activity behaviour (secondary analysis) and promotion practices across sectors (mixed methods approach) were analysed. A distinction was made between good practice (projects with proven effectiveness) and routine practice (large-scale programmes). Results: Between 1993 and 2024, eleven institutions from different political sectors collected data on physical activity behaviour in 23 larger studies. Current data show lower activity levels among older adults, women, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and individuals living with a non-communicable disease. In total, 43 good practice projects and 88 routine practice measures were identified. While all good practice projects demonstrated effectiveness, this was true for only 11 % of routine practices. Good practice projects were less likely to reach at least 100,000 people (12 %) compared to routine practice (25 %), and were more often limited to less than five years (33 % vs. 9 %). Conclusions: Physical activity promotion is an intersectoral challenge requiring stronger structures and shared responsibility. To increase population-level impact, the reach of good practice should be expanded and the effectiveness of routine practice evaluated more systematically. The planned establishment of a National Competence Centre for Physical Activity Promotion offers a key opportunity to advance these goals.