Fitness prized among Shanghai residents

More than half of Shanghai's residents regularly participate in sport exercises, according to a report released on Aug 8, China's National Fitness Day.

The 2023 Shanghai National Fitness Development Report launched by the Shanghai University of Sport, or SUS, assesses the overall state of public fitness in Shanghai in six spheres, including fitness facilities, fitness organizations, fitness activities, fitness guidance, physical health, and citizen participation.

According to the report, residents expressed high satisfaction with the public fitness service system.

In 2023, the city extended its sports venues by 2.52 million square meters and completed a total of 1,888 major fitness facility projects in various districts. By the end of that year, Shanghai's per capita sports facility area had reached 2.6 square meters.

Regarding fitness organizations, the city boasts 1,327 registered sports social organizations and 160 community sports clubs, with a community coverage rate of 74.4 percent.

Moreover, Shanghai's sports departments at various levels organized 18,754 sports events in 2023, drawing 11.22 million participants. The city also hosted 7,895 amateur event matches, engaging a total of 8.5 million participants.

In terms of fitness guidance, Shanghai continues to enhance its efforts, with 63,198 registered social sports instructors in the city by the end of 2023.

"Shanghai is continuously constructing an advanced public fitness service system for all residents. The percentage of city residents engaging in regular sports activities is on the rise, residents' overall health is commendable, and citizen satisfaction is steadily increasing," said Mao Lijuan, president of SUS.

The Shanghai National Fitness Development Report has been published regularly for 12 years.

heqi@chinadaily.com.cn