BIG-5

BIG means ” Physical activity as an investment in health” and is a project to promote the health of women in difficult life situations. These women, for example, have a low socio-economic status, a migration background, a low income in the household or are single parents. They are often not reached by conventional sports activities due to language barriers, cultural particularities or high participation fees. They are therefore less able to benefit from the many positive effects of exercise and sport. For this reason, the BIG approach was developed in 2005 at the Department of Sports Science and Sport at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Through BIG, women in difficult life situations are empowered to develop low-threshold exercise programmes. In a participatory planning process, in which various actors and the women work together equally, the physical activity programmes are planned as well as the implementation of these programmes. Peers advertise the activities to attract participants. Peers are women from the target group who are trained to recruit new women participants. In this way, BIG aims to establish and expand health-promoting structures such as target group-oriented offers and a BIG network. In addition, the close involvement of women is intended to strengthen their control over their own health and promote their physical activity behaviour.

These communities are given the opportunity to promote the health of women in difficult life situations through the BIG approach, which has been tried and proven on site for many years. As support, the communitites receive extensive project funding for a period of 3.5 years, which includes financing a coordination office (20 hours/week) and exercise courses. Furthermore, those project coordinators receive scientific advice and support from the Department of Sports Science and Sport and have the opportunity to exchange ideas with other BIG communities.