Mounting enthusiasm is seen among Chinese citizens who thrust themselves into all kinds of sports activities with the unveiling of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Sports do us a lot of good. Long-term aerobic exercise can help improve immunity of the human body and combat aging. Sports can empower the heart and lungs, enhance the efficiency of cerebral cortex, speed up fat burning, prevent arteriosclerosis, and reduce the incidence rate of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Long-term engagement in sports can strengthen physical health, reduce outbreaks of diseases and improve the quality of life.

Most of those seen doing outdoor fitness activities in the morning are elderly people. And many young people take “hectic work schedule”, “fatigue”, “heavy housework”, etc. as the excuses for inactive participation in sports. The essential reason is the lack of health awareness and “laziness”.

Physical exercise is actually not so complicated, and as long as you have the awareness and are determined, you can integrate it into your daily life. Of course, it will benefit you more if you can regularly set aside a certain period of time for aerobic exercise. According to experts, walking 6,000 to 10,000 steps per day is sufficient exercise for the body. You can, for instance, get off the bus two or three stops ahead of your destination and walk the remaining distance on your way to and fro work or on your way to the supermarket. Taking big strides at a fast pace is recommended, and if the number of steps you take a day can add up to 6,000 to 10,000, you’ve exercised enough for the day. Currently, Beijing is launching the “Fitness Campaign for Beijing and the Beijing Olympic Games” with “Walk 10, 000 Steps A Day, and You’ll Enjoy Optimum Health” as its slogan.

Caution should be taken when choosing the right sports activities, which may vary for different people. Improper exercise can hurt you. Therefore, you need to take the right amount of exercise at the right time. Take yoga for instance, which is a good form of exercise, your cartilage may be injured leading to traumatic arthritis or bone joint degeneration if the joints are extruded beyond their maximum tolerance limit in the reverse movements of yoga. In addition, valetudinarians and people with chronic diseases should not take too much exercise. For these people, it’s best to exercise till the body warms up. People who seldom take exercise should never begin by exercising excessively. For the elders, prolonged exercise can hamper their health due to excessive fatigue rather than enhance health as they have aspired. 

 Now, we call on every Beijing citizen to sustain the passion for the Olympic Games and participate in sports activities for a happier and healthier life.