China works out in force

Every morning, 71-year-old Ren Daqing heads to a community clinic near his home in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, Jiangsu province, not for medicine, but for exercise.

Heart disease once made Ren wary of physical activity. Today, he runs on a treadmill under the supervision of fitness coaches, with medical personnel nearby to monitor his condition.

It is part of a growing model across China that combines structured exercise with healthcare services.

"I used to worry that exercise might put my health at risk," Ren says.

"Now, I know that with professional guidance, exercise can actually help me become healthier."

Community-based health and fitness centers are emerging across China, combining exercise equipment with tools to monitor vital indicators, assess cardiopulmonary function and physical strength, and design exercise programs tailored to individual needs.

Ren's experience reflects a broader transformation taking place across China.

From soccer pitches echoing with cheers to neighborhood squares filled with dancing, regular exercise has become part of everyday life for millions. This shift is rooted in a long-term national strategy that places people's well-being at the heart of sports development.

In 2014, China elevated nationwide fitness to a national strategy. The "Healthy China 2030" blueprint was released in 2016, while successive five-year national fitness plans have continued to guide the development of public sports.

In July, China unveiled its National Fitness Plan for 2026-2030, setting the goal of having around 40 percent of the population regularly participate in physical exercise by 2030, while increasing average sports facility space per capita to around four square meters.

The transformation is increasingly visible. By the end of 2025, China had built more than 5 million sports venues, covering a total area of 4.37 billion square meters. The concept of a "15-minute fitness circle", in which residents can reach sports facilities within a short walk, has rapidly taken shape.

Utilizing spaces

Across cities, previously overlooked spaces are being transformed into places for exercise and recreation.

Unused corners of urban areas, former industrial sites and rooftops are being redesigned as fitness facilities that bring sports closer to local communities.

In Wuxi, Jiangsu province, a 6.4-hectare area beneath elevated highways has been transformed into a multifunctional fitness park.

"For me, it takes only two or three minutes to walk here from home. Being able to exercise right outside my doorstep is incredibly convenient," says local resident Jin Heping.

Xining, capital of Northwest China's Qinghai province, has used parkland, spaces beneath bridges and former factory buildings to build 233 table tennis courts and 56 shared gyms for residents.

Beyond expanding public spaces, China has also accelerated efforts to open school and workplace sports facilities to local communities.

Cities such as Shenzhen in Guangdong province have introduced one-stop online reservation systems for public sports venues, covering more than 2,150 facilities and serving users on more than 65 million visits.

Increasingly, the focus has shifted toward helping people exercise more safely, scientifically and effectively.

China's network of social sports instructors has grown to more than 3.9 million professionals and volunteers, bringing fitness guidance to neighborhoods, parks and community centers nationwide.

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are also reshaping the fitness experience. Smart gyms, AI-powered coaching systems and digital competitions are making exercise more personalized, precise and convenient.

A deeper transformation is also taking place through the integration of sports and healthcare.

With China's three-year Weight Management Initiative underway, local governments have introduced creative campaigns encouraging healthier lifestyles. Lighthearted competitions with names such as "Trade Fat for Beef" and "Trade Fat for Potatoes" have gone viral on social media, turning public health advocacy into a movement embraced by millions.

The trend reflects a broader policy direction, with healthcare priorities shifting from treating illness to preventing it. Governments are building collaborative systems in which sports authorities, health services and communities work together to improve public well-being.

That vision is steadily taking shape. Jiangsu has established more than 200 exercise-based health service centers, providing exercise intervention programs for over 100,000 people each year.

Shanghai has launched dozens of evening fitness schools offering courses ranging from yoga and tai chi to table tennis and aerobics, allowing residents to access professional coaching after work.

Nationwide, more than 5,500 medical institutions have opened clinics dedicated to weight management, where physicians and exercise specialists jointly design personalized health plans.

"The public is moving from simply following exercise routines to understanding why they exercise, how they should exercise and how to maintain healthy habits," says Zheng Jiakun, a professor at Shanghai University of Sport.

"People are transitioning from passive exercise to proactive health management."

Nationwide movement

The success of nationwide fitness depends on participation. Across China, that participation is becoming increasingly visible in schools, neighborhoods and sporting arenas.

At a primary school in Nanjing, the playground comes alive as soon as the bell rings for break. Children rush outside to play traditional games such as shuttlecock kicking, beanbag throwing and spinning tops.

"I especially like spinning tops," says fourth-grader Wu Zehao.

"It's fun and helps me exercise. I feel I've become much stronger."

The enthusiasm extends far beyond campuses. Grassroots sporting events have become one of the defining features of China's nationwide fitness campaign.

At the 15th National Games in 2025, thousands of ordinary citizens competed alongside elite athletes in mass-participation events, bringing the country's largest multisport event closer to the public.

Elsewhere, amateur competitions are reshaping China's sporting culture. In Jiangsu, the amateur soccer competition known as the Su Super League has evolved from a local tournament into a national phenomenon. Its players include teachers, students, office workers, and engineers, all brought together by a shared love of soccer.

Its popularity has inspired similar city-based leagues across nearly 20 regions in China, injecting new energy into grassroots soccer.

Winter sports tell a similar story. China's successful bid to host the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics accelerated the development of winter sports. Between the bid in 2015 and the opening of the Games, 346 million Chinese people participated in winter sports.

Today, indoor ski resorts and ice rinks are thriving even in southern cities that rarely experience natural snowfall, showing how winter sports have expanded beyond their traditional geographic boundaries.

China's growing enthusiasm for fitness has also resonated with foreign residents living in the country.

After retiring from professional boxing, Croatian Goran Martinovic moved to Suzhou in Jiangsu, where he founded a boxing academy to introduce more young people to the sport.

"I've personally experienced how strong the grassroots sports culture is in China," Martinovic says.

"More and more children, parents and elderly people are embracing exercise. It gives the whole country a remarkable sense of vitality."

XINHUA