Hohhot forges ahead with fitness campaign

Participants are pictured at a dance competition in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/hhhtnews] 

A citywide fitness campaign has been pushed forward steadily in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, over the past few years, according to Zhou Jie, deputy director of Hohhot Sports Bureau.

As a call to reach the national goal of building a Healthy China, Hohhot rolled out a fitness campaign across the city years ago.

Infrastructure work for building a favorable environment to facilitate the fitness campaign is in full swing across the city.

Statistics from the local government show that more than 100 pieces of indoor and outdoor fitness equipment have been put into use in residential communities in the past year.

Hohhot has also built new stadiums and cage-type football pitches where people can work out.

Xu Kuan, who is in charge of the infrastructure work at the local sports authority, said that this year five stadiums have been put into service and three new ones are under construction.

The newly built Hohhot Swimming and Diving Gym and Hohhot Stadium will open to the public for free or low cost in September, Xu said.

According to the government, 400 more cage-type football pitches will be established in the second half of the year.

The government has also pushed forward the construction of guidance stations in residential communities and county-level areas to help people meet fitness guidelines.

The guidance stations are charitable institutions established to make fitness facilities and guidance available to people who do not live in the central regions of the city.

Hohhot has also explored new ways to meet the fitness demands of older people, according to Yan Youfu, secretary-general at the Hohhot Sports Federation.

By the end of January last year, Hohhot had a population of 2.4 million, of which 460,000 were over 60, accounting for 19.28 percent of the overall population.

As the age of the population continues to increase, more and more older people are recognizing a growing need for exercise in their lives, which poses special challenges for the government to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Yan said that establishing specific sports and fitness sites for old people in parks and public squares is one way Hohhot Old People Sports Association can meet the needs of elderly people.

The association also plans to hold more activities including taiji, Chinese chess and square dancing to improve the health of the city’s aged people, Yan added.

With the upcoming National Fitness Day, which falls on August 8, the city has organized a series of activities, including the roller-skating races and a hiking competition.

He noted that these activities are expected to encourage active participation in improving fitness levels and help Hohhot build a healthy city.

Participants run in the first International Hohhot Marathon on July 8. [Photo/hhhtnews]

A Bohk, one of the Mongolian wresting competition is held in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/hhhtnews]