The movement check has been carried out in the city of Fulda since 2010 and represents a campaign for the sustainable promotion of physical activity, health, sports & talent.

In times of increasing media consumption, sporting activity is becoming rarer and rarer in everyday life. To counteract this trend, the Chair of Exercise and Movement Science at the University of Bayreuth has developed a scientific test procedure consisting of various exercises to check the physical performance of elementary school students. The generally recognized German Motor Skills Test 6-18 served as a model in the development of the movement check.

As part of the campaigns launched in 2010, more than 22,000 schoolchildren from different countries have already taken part in tests and interventions.

Based on the results obtained in the test procedure (movement check), an individual strength/weakness profile is created for each participating child. In addition, each participant receives a certificate. Parents receive a sport-specific recommendation for their child and are informed about healthy nutrition in an information evening.

The movement check focuses in particular on children who show deficits in the exercises and are overweight, for example. For this, free exercise support is offered to participants by experienced exercise instructors and nutrition experts to specifically support these children and enable them to participate in sports again.

But the high-achieving children are not forgotten either. They receive support based on their talents and are included in the region’s talent pool. Close cooperation with the clubs and associations is essential here, so that the children can join a sports club and receive special support following the test procedure if they are interested.