Background and objective <p>During their training, student nurses are under considerable physical and mental stress. Studies consistently report about unhealthy behaviors, poor physical fitness, and early presentation of health problems. To combat these challenges, the course “Personal Fitness—Health Management” was implemented at a nursing vocational school. In the present study, health status and physical fitness were surveyed.</p> Study design and methods <p>Between 2018 and 2023, a cross-sectional study comprising adult students in the training programs Health and Nursing (GKP), General Nursing (PFF), and Nursing Assistants (KAH) was performed. The questionnaire collected demographic data, assessment of personal fitness, subjective health, and self-reported health issues. Valid answers (<i>n</i> = 242) were analyzed with SPSS&#xa0;28. The statistical methods included the χ²-test and Fisher’s exact test with a significance level of <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05.</p> Results <p>Male students participated significantly more often in sports than female students (1.8 ± 2.1 vs. 1.0 ± 1.7 units/week). Furthermore, men assessed their subjective health status more positively (2.4 ± 0.9 vs. 2.7 ± 0.9). A negative correlation between frequency of physical activity and poorer health assessment (r = –0.368; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) was observed. Women report significantly more often at least one health issue and showed higher rates of back pain, joint pain, and headaches, while men suffered more often from cardiovascular problems and asthma.</p> Conclusion <p>Nursing students already experience significant health issues at a young age, whereby there were significant gender-specific differences in physical activity and health complaints. The results underline the necessity of targeted, gender-sensitive health promotion measures as part of the nursing program.</p>