[Austrian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults and Older Adults with and without Physical, Sensory, or Mental Disabilities, as well as for Adults with Chronic Diseases]. / Österreichische Bewegungsempfehlungen für Erwachsene und ältere Erwachsene ohne und mit Körper-, Sinnes- oder Mentalbehinderung sowie für Menschen mit chronischen Erkrankungen.

There is sound scientific evidence that regular physical activity enhances physical, psychological, and mental health. Specific physical activity guidelines for target groups make an essential contribution to the promotion of physical activity behavior at a population level. In this article, we introduce the updated Austrian physical activity guidelines for adults and older adults with and without physical, sensory, or mental disabilities, as well as for adults with chronic diseases. We have also added comments to key elements of the guidelines. The scientific basis of the physical activity guidelines is the scientific report by the US advisory committee, as well as the 2nd edition of the physical activity guidelines for Americans. Guidelines for a new target group - adults with chronic health conditions - have been included. Furthermore, people with disabilities are now explicitly part of the (older) adult target groups. Instead of providing one cut-off point to separate people into meeting the guidelines/not meeting the guidelines, a range of 150 to 300 minutes per week is now recommended. Placing the guidelines for strength training above those for aerobic training emphasizes the importance of this type of training. In addition, it is now recommended that prolonged sitting is avoided by regularl interruptions. We believe that the publication of the physical activity guidelines for Austria will make an important contribution to the promotion of health through regular physical activity. However, the promotion of regular physical activity will only be successful if all target groups have a fair chance to reach physical activity competence, and attractive environments are created for regular physical activity.

[Austrian Physical Activity Recommendations for Women during and after Pregnancy, Children of Kindergarten age, Children, and Adolescents]. / Österreichische Bewegungsempfehlungen für Frauen während der Schwangerschaft und danach, für Kinder im Kindergartenalter und für Kinder und Jugendliche.

In this article, based on international recommendations, we present the Austrian physical activity recommendations for women during and after pregnancy, children of kindergarten age, children, and adolescents. For women during pregnancy and in the first months after delivery, the exercise recommendations do not differ from those for adults. Movement restrictions apply only if health problems are present. Children under 6 years of age should engage in a variety of motor tasks for up to 3 hours a day at medium and high intensity levels, so that they can grow up healthy. In the age group of 6 to 18 years of age, daily exercise of at least one-hour duration is recommended. When choosing the type of exercise, the level of development and the activity levels of children and adolescents should be taken into account. The exercise recommendations are intended for dissemination in the field of health promotion and to serve as the basis for the development and evaluation of health-promoting exercise programs in Austria.

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of a Daily Physical Activity Unit in Schools: Focus on Children and Adolescents in Austria Up to the 8th Grade.

Physical activity has a variety of health benefits for young people. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents aged 5-17 years should be physically active for at least 60 min a day. This Health Impact Assessment (HIA) examined the potential impact of a daily physical activity unit in Austrian schools, with a focus on children and adolescents up to eighth grade. The HIA methodology systematically followed several stages: screening and scoping, appraisal, and formulation of recommendations. A literature review, an online survey (n = 712), focus group discussions (n = 4), and appraisal workshops (n = 2) have been carried out. The analyzed results indicate a primarily positive impact on the individual health of children and adolescents, on social and community-related networks, on living and working conditions, and on the system level. Recommendations for the implementation include ensuring equal opportunities and support for disadvantaged children and schools. Furthermore, the comprehensible selection of pilot regions and the nationwide resource planning should be considered. Additional important factors include the education and further training of pedagogical staff and coaches, and the availability of sufficient infrastructure. In the long term, the fixed integration of five additional teaching units of physical activity per week, and an increased focus on the elementary/nursery school sector were identified as significant.