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November 22, 2016

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Giving us the nudge to walk, run and play sports

A key factor in good health is regular exercise, whether it be team sports, a morning jog or just tai chi in a local park. To that end, Shanghai has set a goal to become a “world famous sports city” by the year 2025.

The city already hosts several high-profile international sporting events, including Formula 1 Grand Prix motor racing, the Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis competition, WGC-HSBC Champions golf and the Shanghai International Marathon.

But a city of sports spectators is not the ticket to a healthy city. The Shanghai Sports Bureau said its goal is to encourage residents to get out and exercise themselves.

General fitness of local residents in Shanghai is among the best in China, according to a report issued by the bureau at the end of last year. It found 96 percent of people met health standards, the best outcome in 15 years. The survey was based on sample polling of 60,414 residents aged from three to 69.

Shanghai will spend over 300 billion yuan (US$43.9 billion) by 2025 on sports and exercise-related services, with the goal of 45 percent of the population participating regularly in fitness activities.

Jogging, badminton and basketball are the three favorite activities of Shanghai residents, according to a September survey by the sports bureau. Square dancing, table tennis and aerobics followed on the list.

The survey of 3,400 people found that about 41 percent of them exercise for 30 minutes at least three times a week. That was up from 38 percent a year earlier. Nearly 67 percent of respondents cited health maintenance as the main reason for exercise. Other reasons included improvement in sports skills, socializing and weight loss.

“Shanghai’s percentage is the highest in China,” said Huang Yongping, director of Shanghai Sports Bureau. “However, when you look at the age breakdown, only 25 percent of those aged between 20 and 39 exercise regularly, which is very low.”

The bureau’s survey found that half of respondents spent more than 460 yuan last year on sports and exercise, including the purchase of sports clothing and gym and playground fees.

“Our health is worth a bigger investment,” said Huang. “Apart from joining gyms and health centers to get help from professionals, residents should be able to find assistance in community-supported centers.”

According to Huang, Shanghai has trained over 50,000 sports instructors in residential communities. They are available to give grassroots advice on fitness, with seniors a special target.

Huang said the bureau is aware of public demand of more public sports facilities, especially badminton courts and swimming pools.

“Some citizens complain that it’s hard to find a venue for such activities close to their homes,” said Huang. “To meet the demand, we have been encouraging schools to open up their facilities to the public during non-school hours. About 85 percent of schools are already doing so.”

To encourage that trend, the government has introduced an insurance system to remove liability from schools should accidents occur.

At the end of last year, Shanghai had about 400 public badminton courts, 600 swimming pools and 2,200 gyms. The government has promised that more sports venues will be built, with the goal set at 2.6 square meters for every resident.

In education facilities, students will be guaranteed at least one hour of sports activity every day.




 

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