Austria’s Bewegt im Park”: 700 free courses for everyone!

Austria’s Bewegt im Park”: 700 free courses for everyone!

“Bewegt im Park” is also starting this year with over 700 free sports courses throughout Austria and aims to motivate people to lead a more active lifestyle. The initiative, which is part of the local movement culture, is supported by numerous organizations. These include this Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport, the Umbrella association of social insurance providers and the Austrian health insurance fund. A project budget of 828,000 euros is available for 2025, which will be financed by the institutions mentioned.

The courses, which take place between June and September, are accessible without prior registration and free of charge. Over 520 trainers will lead the offerings in the nine federal states, with a variety of sports to choose from such as yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. Since the initiative started in 2016, around 680,000 people have taken part. Last year there were 130,726 participants who took part in 714 courses.

Diversity of offerings and inclusion

A key goal of the initiative is to reach people of all ages and fitness levels, including those with disabilities. Many of the courses are designed to be inclusive and take different needs into account. The program is viewed as a valuable opportunity to promote health and quality of life.

Similarly in Berlin, the “Sport in the Park Inclusive 2025” initiative aims to promote exercise for all Berliners. By October 2025, around 250 free exercise activities per week will be offered in around 80 parks and green spaces. The offerings are barrier-free and suitable for all age groups and fitness levels, regardless of whether the participants have a disability or not. The program includes, among other things, walking, gymnastics, boxing and Tai Chi, carried out by trained instructors from ten sports clubs.

The importance of sport and inclusion

Promoting inclusive sport has far-reaching positive effects. As the Human Action explains, doing sport together helps to strengthen acceptance and tolerance and reduce prejudices. Unfortunately, a study shows that only around 35% of sports clubs in Germany work inclusively. Additionally, many people with disabilities do not have access to sports, with a shocking increase to 55% of those who do not exercise. The lack of inclusive offers and poor accessibility are often the reasons for this low participation.

Overall, exercise in parks is a valuable initiative that not only promotes physical fitness, but also contributes to social integration and inclusion. The organizations involved are therefore continually working to improve the conditions for participation and to reach a broader public so that even more people can benefit from these offers.