Your path to mental strength and joy in life.
The Mental Fit Path is an innovative, concept that promotes mental health, physical activity, and social cohesion. As a unique, copyright-protected work, it offers an accessible and inspiring way to strengthen resilience and motivation.
Movement meets mental impulse
The Mental Fit Path is an interactive exercise trail. It consists of nine weatherproof boards (approx. W40cm x H60cm) installed in schools, parks, or along hiking routes.
- A unique combination: For the first time in Europe, the project combines an analogue-digital structure with profound psychological video messages from prominent role models, presented as a public educational installation.
- Physical & digital: Each board combines an age-appropriate physical exercise with a QR code.
- Inspiring role models: Another QR code leads to videos in which, for example, Olympic champions, world champions, and para-athletes share their personal strategies for overcoming challenges.
The individual station
In addition to presenting the featured personality, each board contains two core messages: the “Mental Tip” and an “Exercise.” Two separate QR codes take users directly to the short, inspiring video messages. To engage all age and fitness groups, the exercises are playfully divided into three developmental levels: “Heroes” (e.g., 1–3 repetitions), “Warriors” (e.g., 5–8 repetitions), and “Masters” (e.g., 10–15 repetitions).
The design also integrates the partners: the main sponsor (Presidium) is prominently placed at the top center, while additional supporters (Coaches) and the national partner are displayed along the bottom edge of the board.
Flexibly mountable!
The boards themselves are flexible and can be easily installed on posts, walls, or fences using screws or cable ties.
Role models create togetherness
The heart of the path is the athletes — well-known sports figures or personalities who know what it means to reach their limits and rise again.
- Voluntary commitment: They voluntarily and without compensation share their personal experiences and mental coping strategies.
- Inclusion & approachability: Actively involving para-athletes is a central symbol of shared togetherness.
- A “social sculpture”: The path functions as a “socio-political cycle of exchange” and can be understood as a “social sculpture.” When children respond to the messages and send back a “thank you,” the interaction itself becomes part of the artwork. This creates a cycle of appreciation within society.
From Austria’s most successful Olympian to the “Blind Climber,” the world’s best climber, an analog astronaut, and a well-known actor — they are all united by the “Mental Fit Path Austria.” With more than 600 installations across the country — in schools, along hiking trails, in hospitals, and in senior facilities — the path brings mental strength and physical activity into the heart of society.
The Mental Fit Path in the education system
The education system is the central anchor point of the Mental Fit Path. In Austria, the concept has already been reviewed by educational authorities and ministries and is actively used there. It provides educators with a simple, practical tool to raise awareness about mental health and to combine two essential components: joy of movement and mental well-being.
Teachers/trainers receive access to all video content through a password-protected online platform and can use it directly in the classroom. This usage complies with data protection regulations, is prepared specifically for educational use, and is easy to apply.
By having Olympic and world champions share their strategies as authentic role models, resilience-building becomes tangible for students. Since the project is fundamentally free of charge for schools, clubs, and educational institutions, it has proven to be a strong multiplier in practice: Often, it is the educators themselves who carry the initiative forward into their communities after successfully using it in their classrooms.
An example
The first international implementation of the Mental Fit Path began in Germany in 2022. The project’s first partner was the Handballcampus Munich.
Each country has a “captain” who leads and represents the team of athletes. He or she represents the athletes and, through personal presence, shows appreciation toward sponsors and partners.
An excellent example of successful implementation is the city of Aschaffenburg. There, a local company financed several Mental Fit Paths for the city. This success was a community project in which all levels were involved from the very beginning: the city of Aschaffenburg, schools, educators, the project team from Munich, and the athletes.
The result is a sustainable solution that educators can now integrate playfully into everyday school life, bringing mental health directly into the community.
A Europe-wide movement for mental health
The Mental Fit Path was developed as a scalable concept to carry its core mission across Europe: promoting mental health, resilience, and social cohesion. After great success in Austria with over 680 paths and the first international implementation in Germany, our vision is a growing network of Mental Fit Paths throughout Europe.
The expansion is driven by local initiatives that adapt the concept to their own markets and recruit prominent athletes as role models. Funding is always secured through sponsors, patrons, or public funding bodies.
This model is essential because it preserves our social mission: the Mental Fit Path should remain fundamentally free of charge for schools, youth centers, clubs, and similar educational institutions.
Questions?
Whether as a national implementation partner, supporter, educational institution, or sponsor — the Mental Fit Path invites you to become part of a growing movement for mental health and social cohesion.
Feel free to contact us without obligation. In a personal meeting or a video call, we are happy to answer your questions.