Ways of promoting healthy lifestyles through the development of national sports in higher education institutions (within the framework of the Student League and the Summer Universiade)

Abstract

The article examines the opportunities for promoting healthy lifestyles among university students through the development of national games, which represent an important element of Kazakh cultural tradition. The purpose of the study is to provide a scientific rationale and approbation of the national games Asyk Atu and Bestas as a means of fostering a healthy lifestyle among students, as well as to identify effective ways of integrating them into the educational process, the Student League, and the Summer Universiade. Within the framework of the XIII Summer Universiade, held in 2025 in Turkistan at the International University of Tourism and Hospitality, competitions and student clubs dedicated to national games were organized, and a survey was conducted among participants. The collected data were subjected to scientific and theoretical analysis. The findings demonstrated that Asyk Atu and Bestas contribute to the development of students’ agility, speed, endurance, accuracy, ability to estimate distances, and visual-motor coordination. Based on the analysis, pedagogical opportunities and effective forms of integrating national games into the higher education system were identified, which highlights their potential for practical use in fostering healthy lifestyles among students.