Free exercise to get you fit
According to a 2017 survey, 43 percent of Shanghai residents exercise regularly. National Fitness Day hopes to raise that number.
Over 1,000 public sports venues and facilities around the city will be open free on Thursday to mark the 11th National Fitness Day.
The venues include the city’s major sports complexes such as the Oriental Sports Center in the Pudong New Area, Jiangwan Stadium in Yangpu District and Shanghai Sports Palace in Putuo District.
Some 116 neighborhood and district level health monitoring centers will provide free health checks and consultation services on the day.
For more information about venues and health monitoring centers, log on to Shanghai Sports Bureau’s website http://tyj.sh.gov.cn or dial hotline 21-965365.
National Fitness Day, set up a year after the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, aims to remind people of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Ahead of this year’s celebration, around 2,000 people attended a sports carnival at Shanghai Jing’an Sports Center on Tuesday.
Some experienced trampolining and Zumba dance courses under the direction of professional coaches. Families with children took part in sports-themed games.
Olympic champion Zou Shiming was at the carnival as a Fitness Day ambassador, encouraging more youngsters to learn about boxing.
“Boxing is more than a competitive sport. Some boxing skill training methods like rope skipping are all common daily exercise items,” said Zou. “Apart from self-protection, boxing teaches children about concentration and self-discipline.”
Apart from sports activities, Shanghai Sports Bureau has joined with Shanghai Film Group to introduce a “sports movie week.” Six sports-themed films, including “Woman Basketball Player No. 5” and “Pegasus,” will be screened at Tianshan Cinema in Changning District from August 6 to 11.
