Population urged to be more active

BEIJING - Chinese people learned on Thursday just how much exercise they should be taking during the coming five years with the release of a set of guidelines for sporting activities known as the National Fitness Program 2011-2015.

According to the plan, 32 percent of the population should be taking at least 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week by 2015. The target is 3.8 percent higher than the number of people who were exercising in 2007.

In order to give people the opportunity to work out, the number of gymnasiums and stadiums nationwide is set to rise to 1.2 million from today's 1 million.