Guides · Children · 9 November 2026 · Thomas Schüller
Daily physical activity in schools
How schools implement Austria's daily physical activity programme with short, well-prepared sessions and where clubs can help.
According to the World Health Organization, children should be active for an hour every day. Austria's daily physical activity programme starts here: activity in PE lessons, in everyday school life and with sports clubs. It is being expanded, with sports federations working together with schools.
What the evaluation shows
The evaluation by Gesundheit Österreich shows that implementation depends on planning, space and cooperation between school and club. Short, recurring routines are easier to implement than large single lessons.
Short sessions
Ten to twenty minutes with a warm-up, a game or circuit and a calm finish can also be done in the classroom or the corridor. Clear rules on space and safety are important.
With the session builder and learning cards
Teachers put together sessions from warm-up, games and strengthening and run them with the follow-along clock; the learning cards provide games, children's gymnastics and exercises with a learning path.
Key point: Short, recurring activity sessions with clear rules are the most reliable route to daily activity in school.
References
- Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlichen Dienst und Sport; Bildungsministerium (2026): Tägliche Bewegungseinheit: Drei-Säulen-Modell, Ausbau 2026, Beteiligung von 13 Sportfachverbänden mit über 20.000 Bewegungseinheiten von Februar bis August 2026. bewegungseinheit.gv.at.
- Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (2024): Evaluation der Täglichen Bewegungseinheit in Österreichs Schulen. goeg.at.
- Bull, F. C. et al. (2020): World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine 54(24), 1451-1462.