It has been five years since 63-year-old Shen Yuxi began to do his morning exercise in Beijing’s Purple Bamboo Park. He arrives early each morning, jogs for a few minutes, then does some shadowboxing. Sometimes he brings a Chinese chess set and plays with his friends who are also doing their morning exercises in the park.
　　
　　“I first came here to exercise because I had trouble sleeping. I woke up much earlier than other family members. In order not to wake them up, I had the idea of taking a walk by myself,” Shen said.
　　As time went by, he noted the quality of his sleep improved significantly. “I am used to doing exercise every morning and it has become part of my life. If I don’t come, I feel a bit uneasy,” Shen continued with a smile.
　　Shen is not the only one who has seen the physical and psychological benefits of exercise. In recent years, exercise has blended into people’s daily lives. Especially in large cities, one can see people of all ages and walks of life exercising in a variety of places.
　　Exercise is a medium-intensity “sport” that varies according to age and health status. If done daily, activities of this kind can burn 1,800-2,200 calories per week, experts say. A 12-year survey in the United States of more than 8,000 adults found that the death rate of those who exercise regularly was 1.5 times lower than those who do not exercise or only occasionally do high-impact activities.
　　It also found that the incidence of such ailments as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer was reduced 35 percent, while life expectancy could be lengthened by four to six years.
　　“Exercise is not only the business of senior citizens; everyone should take some time to do exercise,” said fitness coach Zhang Zhi. “A large number of people tend to believe the purpose of exercising is only to keep fit or live longer. As a matter of fact, people should exercise to keep healthy.
　　“The age of my trainees varies from 15 to 60 years,” Zhang added. “People in different age groups have different expectations about exercise. For instance, most of those under 25 years exercise to shape their bodies. The majority of middle-aged people in their 30s or 40s go to the gym to ease stress; as for senior citizens, their purpose is to improve their health. Doing exercise is not a mere physical action--it can relieve people’s psychological pressure.”
　　
　　A diversity of methods
　　
　　ECONOMICAL EXERCISE: Zhang Fang, a 63-year-old from Xining City, Qinghai Province, does morning exercise at a public facility
　　“There are all kinds of exercise modes available for all ages,” said Zhang.
　　In major parks in Beijing, one can spot a large number of people doing their regular morning exercises. Most are senior citizens, who have plenty of spare time. They may jog, shadowbox or dance.
　　But even for the working age population, it is not unimaginable to arrange a morning workout. In Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, employees from state- or foreign-owned enterprises do group morning exercises in front of their office buildings every weekday.
　　Employees of some enterprises wear uniforms when doing their workouts. Their smiles and body movements motivate the whole city. Local residents said the group morning exercise does not spring from government orders, but rather was voluntarily organized by some employees. As time went by, more people joined the group, and it has become a popular activity for the people in Yinchuan.
　　Among devotees, some challenging programs are very popular. For instance, taekwondo, a Korean martial art, is a preferred sport among young people. The ultimate goal of taekwondo is to build character. Many colleges and universities in China have their own taekwondo organizations. With the growing influence of Korean culture in China, more and more young people have joined this trend.
　　Some people love new exercise modes, such as yoga, body shaping and bungee jumping. However, these exercises require good physical conditioning as well as the spirit of perseverance and audacity.
　　Exercisers also choose their preferred venues for workout. Some like to buy equipment and exercise at home, some choose to spend thousands of yuan to join a club, while others adopt the most economical method--using facilities provided by the government in public areas, or just jogging.
　　“To exercise does not necessarily mean that you have to go to the gym, or be supervised by a coach. It lies in daily life,” said Zhang, the fitness coach. “For example, we can climb stairs instead of taking the elevator, park the car a bit away from the workplace so that we can walk a few minutes to work, or get off the bus one or two stops ahead and walk home. Many daily activities are actually good exercises,” he said.
　　Chen Xia, 35, said her workplace is a 15-minute walk from home. She used to ride her motorcycle to work, but for the last three years she has been walking to work after being persuaded to do so by her friends and family members. She is happy to say that she feels better and seldom gets sick.
　　
　　Developing social ties
　　
　　Apart from improving health and building character, exercise also helps to extend people’s social circles. More people are realizing that it isn’t much fun to exercise by themselves. A solo workout can be boring and ineffective, and therefore joining a group of people who share the same interest is a good idea.
　　Ma Lei, 27, said that exercising together helps to improve communication among people. “Some people tend to think that exercise is for the purpose of losing a bit of weight or building a good body shape, which I believe is a part of the function of exercise,” he said. “More importantly, doing exercise provides a golden opportunity to communicate with the people around us. Nowadays, people are pressured by work, and it is an excellent idea to gather a group of friends or family members and do exercises.”
　　Cai Hui, an information technology professional in Beijing, said that as a computer programmer, he seldom has the chance to communicate with the outside world except to chat with friends online. Cai said he has lived in his current apartment for more than two years and has never met any of his neighbors, even those in the apartment opposite his own. Recently, persuaded by a colleague, Cai joined a fitness club and has made a lot of friends, including some in the same field. While running on the treadmill, he can share work experiences with them.
　　In some parks in Beijing, senior citizens who do morning exercise regularly in the same spot even form a kind of matchmaking group. While exercising together, their favorite topic of discussion is their children. Those whose children are not married describe their offspring’s qualifications and see if another exerciser’s child might be a good match. If both sides agree, they may leave contact information and even arrange a date for their children. Gradually, these people become friends.
　　
　　Government support
　　
　　In 1995, the State Council, China’s cabinet, issued the National Fitness Program, aimed at improving the condition and health of all citizens. The 15-year program focuses on young people, but urges everyone to do at least one type of exercise daily. The government will also conduct annual medical examinations. By the end of 2003, China’s General Administration of Sport had poured over 1 billion yuan, or 60 percent of the revenue from sports lotteries, into carrying out the program nationwide.
　　On June 20, 2005, 10 years after the fitness program was issued, Guo Min, head of the program in the sports administration, stated that during that 10-year period, the number of people doing regular exercise increased annually. In 2000, those between seven and 70 years of age who regularly exercised accounted for 33.9 percent of China’s total population, up 2.5 percentage points from 31.4 percent in 1996, representing a relatively high ratio among developing countries. The life expectancy of Chinese has risen significantly--to 71.8 years in 2000 from only 35 at the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
　　People now spend more of their income on sports and physical activities. A survey found that only 33.3 percent of the population spent over 100 yuan annually on exercise in 1996, while families spent an average of 397 yuan in 2001. By the end of 2005, 37.1 percent of people aged seven to 70 years exercised regularly, an increase of 3.2 percentage points from 2000.
　　On June 18, 2005, a morning exercise campaign, jointly initiated by 10 major parks in Beijing, was launched in Rendinghu Park in Xicheng District. On that day, more than 10 exercise coaching stations were set up. A total of 500 people performed 10 activities, including traditional folk dances, badminton, social dancing and simple warm-up exercises.
　　With the approach of the 2008 Olympics, similar group exercise activities are expected to get a further boost.

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