Shanghai limbers up ahead of National Fitness Day
Sports fairs, leisure games and street bazaars were staged in Shanghai over the sunny weekend ahead of National Fitness Day which falls on August 8.
Fun games, leisure bicycle rides, tug of war, frisbee games, yoga and hot dance were among the activities throughout the weekend as the Anyi Road pop-up market at the Jing'an Kerry Center was turned into a summer sports fun bazaar.
Regional competition for Lululemon's "Summer Sweat Games" wrapped up on Saturddy. The winning team is to join other regional champions to compete in the national game in Shenzhen at the end of August.
Group dance, yoga and other leisure games also attracted hundreds of participants despite the scorching sun.
The Anyi Road pop-up market at the Jing'an Kerry Center was turned into a sports carnival on Saturday.
Entering its third year, the "Summer Sweat Games" was expanded this year to more than 100 Lululemon stores in over 30 domestic cities.
After two months of preliminary competition, 76 teams entered the regional contest, and eight teams were competing for the winner in Shanghai.
Brand ambassador Zhou Guanyu, China's first F1 driver, also joined the wining teams on stage and encouraged the public to adopt health and fitness habits.
Local residents can't wait to try out archery at the sports fair on West Bund area in Xuhui District on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, the kick-off event for Shanghai's National Fitness Week promotional campaign was held in Xuhui District with altogether 5 million yuan (US$704,225) worth of sports consumption vouchers being distributed online for city residents.
Discounts have been offered for online bookings at various sports venues including gyms, fitness centers and dance studios.
Sports lovers spared no effort to compete for the Shanghai regional champion for Lululemon's "Summer Sweat Games".
According to Shanghai Sports Bureau's latest survey released in July, the average sports spending for the city's residents was 3,456 yuan (US$487) in 2022, with nearly 60 percent going to physical goods and around 40 percent being sports related services.
Outdoor sports, fishing, ice and skating and e-sports are emerging categories.
The survey of 9,700 residents shows about one third plan to increase sports expenditure this year.
According to Meituan data, the volume of Shanghai's sports and fitness related online payment in July jumped 1.8 times from 2021, and trendy sports activities like rock climbing, archery have gained wide attraction.
Local residents chose outdoor sports and leisure activities to wind down on weekends.
