Projects

This project focuses on students’ mental health by integrating exercise and nature as key health resources into everyday university life. It develops and tests evidence-based, participatory measures designed to support student well-being in the long term.
A central component is the Co-Creation Lab, where students, faculty, and various university departments will work together to develop tailored measures in 2026–2027. This participatory approach aims to foster a university culture in which mental health and physical activity are integral to the academic experience and visibly embedded in teaching, campus life, and the strategic development of the University of Bayreuth.

Exercise and health are at the core of the Men’s Health at the Health Resort project. The Men’s Health prevention program, previously evaluated at the municipal level, is now being adapted to the health resort context. During a compact one-week program, men-specific exercise formats are combined with health-resort-based interventions and educational content.
The implementation will be scientifically monitored and evaluated in a pilot study at the Bad Weißenstadt am See health resort in 2026.

The Bayreuth Physical Activity Check examines how active and physically fit primary school children in the city and district of Bayreuth are. In addition to motor skills, motivation, self-confidence, self-perception, and knowledge related to an active lifestyle were also assessed in 2024 and 2026—summarized under the concept of physical literacy.
The aim of the study is to better understand the relationships between these factors and to further develop scientifically grounded approaches to promoting physical activity in childhood.

This project aims to develop a shared understanding of physical literacy in Germany. In collaboration with other sport science institutions, a consensus-based definition is being developed that describes the concept’s central dimensions while taking into account the specific characteristics of German physical activity, play, and sport culture.

This project investigates how active mobility—such as walking or cycling to school or in everyday life—can support both physical performance and spatial-cognitive abilities. Through several studies involving children and adults in Germany and Australia, researchers examine which forms of active mobility are particularly effective and how changes in mobility behavior influence brain activity and cognitive functioning.
The goal is to generate new insights that contribute to more effective strategies for health-promoting physical activity and cognitive performance.

This research examines how regular physical activity and short movement breaks in schools, universities, and workplaces influence key cognitive functions such as attention, concentration, and reaction speed. With a public health perspective, different forms of physical activity are analyzed to determine which measures are particularly effective and how they can be sustainably integrated into everyday educational and work settings.
The aim is to develop evidence-based strategies that enhance cognitive performance as well as health, well-being, and motivation.

This research explores how mental strength in sport—from recreational to competitive levels—can be measured reliably and developed systematically. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as several complementary small-scale projects with partners in the field, the focus is on improving objective assessment tools and mapping mental performance factors more precisely.
The aim is to make mental strength more visible in order to sustainably enhance both athletic performance and well-being, satisfaction, and long-term commitment to sport.

This research examines how mental and psychoregulatory training methods are used in rapidly growing trend sports such as CrossFit and Hyrox—areas in which, despite high competitive demands, structured mental training is often still lacking. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes questionnaires, interviews, and small-scale experiments, the project identifies current practices, typical barriers, and potential mechanisms of action.
The aim is to better understand how amateur athletes who move quickly into competitive environments can be mentally strengthened and supported more sustainably.