Schools stretch exercise time to aid student fitness

Schools in Beijing are extending afternoon exercise times by 15 minutes to help students stave off childhood obesity.

The recreational recess, which comes between the second and third periods, has been stretched to 35 minutes at elementary and middle schools across Changping and Haidian districts as part of a pilot health project.

"By increasing the time allocated for exercise, we aim to improve student fitness and guarantee a minimum of one-hour in-school exercise for each student every day," said Zhao Guowei, a spokesman for city's education commission.