Project GreenPE: not your usual PE class. Project conclusion in Slovakia.

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The most significant development occurred in the students' mental health.

On July 2nd, the closing event of the GreenPE project was held at the Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia.

The Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences – as the leader of this project – sent three colleagues as representatives to the event. Within the framework of the project GreenPE - An innovative Physical Education model in the sphere of higher education for sustainable health and environment, supported by the International Visegrád Fund, a total of 61 non-sport students at the four partner universities (University of Pécs, Charles University - Prague, University School of Physical Education - Kraków, Catholic University in Rožumberok) used exclusively outdoor infrastructure during Physical Education classes for one semester.

GreenPE experts also held an online course on fitness theory for students and designed a home workout program for the exam period.

By the end of the entire program, all of the students' physical fitness indicators were successfully maintained, but significant improvements occurred in several indicators, such as endurance, balance, speed and body fat percentage.

The most striking improvement (15%) was shown by the mental health continuum scale, meaning that the participating students' emotional, psychological and social well-being improved, and was maintained until the end of the exam period.

Regarding weather parameters, it is worth highlighting that in Pécs, temperature fluctuated between 5˚C and 25˚C throughout the autumn semester, with humidity below 100%, which fits into the optimal zone for training. Based on the results, GreenPE experts urge that universities’ Physical Education classes and the fitness training of the general public should prioritise outdoor physical activity instead of using indoor facilities with high maintenance and energy costs and burdens on the environment, because outdoor physical activity has got multidimensional health-protective and favourable environmental effects.