BIG – Movement as investment in health

Project to promote physical activity among women in difficult life situations

Aim of BIG

The aims of BIG are to promote the health of women in difficult life situations, to empower their controle on determinants of their health and to establish community structures for health promotion.

Background of BIG

Various barriers often restrict women in difficult life situations from being sufficiently physically active. Therefore, the BIG-project enables low-threshold exercise opportunities.

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The BIG approach was developed in 2005 at the Department of Sports Science and Sport (DSS) of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). Since then, the BIG approach has been transferred to several locations and has been evolved continuously.

Nachuntersuchung des BIG-Projekts (Follow-up of the BIG project)

At the moment, the BIG project is being comprehensively evaluated. Through the follow-up evaluation of BIG “NU-BIG” we want to figure out:

– how BIG is realized at the individual locations

– which behavioral and situational preventive effect can be achieved by BIG

– which factors influence the sustainable implementation of the project

In this way we want to learn more about the sustainable effects and long-term transfer of BIG.

You can find more information here:

„Schwimmen können und ins Schwimmbad gehen oder Sport treiben ist einfach die normalste Sache der Welt. Das denken Sie! Für mich als Muslima ist es etwas Unmögliches, weil ich aus religiösen Gründen nicht in einem Schwimmbad schwimmen gehen kann, wo die Männer und Frauen zusammen das Schwimmbad teilen oder Sport machen. Das war vor ca. einem Jahr die Aussage von mir. Jetzt sage ich: ‚Alles Quatsch!‘ Ich kann auch Sport machen und Schwimmkurs besuchen und Schwimmen gehen dank BIG. Ich kann jede Woche kaum die Frauenbadezeit erwarten.“

Mereyim G.

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