WHO Representative Praises China's Efforts to Promote Physical Activity

Beijing (ANTARA) - China has developed practices to encourage physical activity that are worthy of international promotion, particularly in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in China, Martin Taylor. He highlighted the country’s progress in creating environments that make it easier for people to exercise. “China is in a very good position with a strong foundation,” Taylor said after signing a letter of intent with the China Institute of Sport Science. He cited various efforts, from national policy initiatives to the development of public spaces and the integration of sports and health services at the community level. A lack of physical activity remains a major global public health challenge. According to WHO data, 31 percent of adults worldwide, or approximately 1.8 billion people, do not meet recommended levels of physical activity, a figure that rises to 80 percent among adolescents. Each year, around 830,000 deaths from non-communicable diseases are attributed to insufficient physical activity. “First of all, the attention given by the country’s leadership to health and sports is very important. What we see is a commitment in the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, which puts people at the centre and health at the centre, and recognises sports as an important part of that,” he said. He also praised China’s investment in public spaces. “If you look at many cities and towns in China today, you will see parks equipped with running tracks, along rivers and canals, places for people to walk, run, and dance, and outdoor gymnasiums that people can visit,” he stated. “The investment in open spaces, parks, and riverside pedestrian paths provides extraordinary opportunities for people to exercise.” Taylor cited Beijing’s Olympic Forest Park as an example. “There, you have an incredible space, which is always full of people exercising every weekend, not just walking and running, but there are even rock climbing facilities there,” he noted. He also highlighted the widespread availability of bicycle rental services in Chinese cities, mentioning that it has made cycling an accessible form of exercise for millions of people. “Now, many people can commute to work using rental bicycles. Twenty years ago, that was impossible,” Taylor said. At the community level, he praised efforts to integrate sports and health services. “We see, for example, the integration of sports and health at the community level, using health facilities, using sports centres to integrate, allowing people to get an understanding of their health conditions from doctors, and then move on to sports, to do the type of exercise or physical activity they need to help address their conditions. These kinds of initiatives are truly remarkable,” he said. “If you have 20 or 30 minutes a day to spend on social media, you have the same amount of time to exercise,” he added. Exercise is not only healthy, but also enjoyable.