New sports box at PH Schwäbisch Gmünd: Free materials for everyone!

New sports box at PH Schwäbisch Gmünd: Free materials for everyone!

On May 16, 2025, the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education (PH) will open its new sports box. This facility is intended to offer not only students, but also the university's employees an uncomplicated and open offer to promote health. The opening ceremony took place in mid-April in the presence of Prof. Dr. Jochen Mayer and Leonie Schnith from the sports science department. Together with interested students and other guests, they celebrated the opening of the sports box, which provides a variety of sports materials free of charge.

Materials offered include table tennis bats, yoga mats, Viking chess and spikeball. The sports box is accessible daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can be used via a practical smartphone app. Information about the sports box is available both on the PH Schwäbisch Gmünd website under “University Life” and through notices directly at the sports box. The aim of this initiative is to integrate exercise into everyday life, promote active breaks and offer community games.

Health promotion at universities

The opening of the sports box is part of a larger trend that is emerging at universities with a focus on health promotion. Long periods of sitting are increasingly associated with various health risks. According to recent studies, students spend an average of 11 hours per day sitting, which adds up to 55 hours per week. This often leads to complaints such as back pain, neck pain and headaches, which can have a significant impact on everyday study life uni-frankfurt.de describes.

Against this background, universities are increasingly focusing on health promotion projects. One initiative is the online movement tool Active Movement Break, which was developed by students to integrate movement breaks into everyday study life. The goals are both activation after long periods of sitting and relaxation of the shoulder and neck areas. Exam stress should also be reduced through special concentration exercises.

The role of the sports box

The sports box at PH Schwäbisch Gmünd is not only a response to the increasing health risks, but also a practical solution to address these challenges. The facility is the result of close collaboration between students and various departments at the university, including sports science and technical services. Such joint projects are crucial for developing a health-promoting university culture and enabling more exercise in everyday life in the long term.

In addition, platforms show how Studium.de that there are over 650 university locations in Germany that provide innovative health promotion offerings. The ability to save interesting courses of study using a “favorites” function underlines the relevance of active, health-promoting training during your studies.

With the opening of the Sportbox, PH Schwäbisch Gmünd has taken another step towards a healthy and active university community. The measures are an impressive example of how educational institutions can promote the health of their members and at the same time create active cooperation.