[Promoting exercise and sports in vocational rehabilitation of handicapped patients--a neglected aspect of rehabilitation?].

Directed primarily at preventive and compensatory objectives, sports activities in the framework of vocational education are intended to enhance essentially the physical and psychic well-being of the young people in later employment. They even involve goals that are pertinent to occupational qualification. The reality of motor promotion of disabled young trainees through sports, however, does look unfavorable. Physical-motor deficits in the trainees, explained in terms of their particular biography, make up for an additional, acquired problem that can have far-reaching implications for their occupational future. Difficulties in view of systematic promotion, as well as possibilities and initial efforts towards improvement, are dealt with on the example of the vocational education centre for physically disabled young people of the Annastift, Hannover. Intensive motor promotion in more severely disabled young people during their vocational training has entailed noticably favourable results relative to coordination and physical fitness. Besides its effect of general activation, comprehensive, holistic sports-motor training above all seems to have a generalized effect on everyday and work-related tasks (such as gripping, walking).