China improves fitness facilities

China's per capita sports venue area reached 3.0 square meters in 2024, according to data recently released by the country's General Administration of Sport.

In recent years, multiple regions and departments have actively worked to improve fitness facilities for the promotion of nationwide fitness.

Li Ang, a 34-year-old fitness enthusiast who works in the internet industry, takes pride in having ran 1,652 kilometers over seven years.

Young people attend a rock climbing activity after work at a climbing gym in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, April 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

After learning about a large screen at the south gate of Beijing's Olympic Forest Park where fast runners could "make the leaderboard," Li began running regularly at the park.

This large screen is part of the smart running track project, a collaboration between the park and China's sports platform Keep. The project integrates online and offline scenarios through smart wearable devices to enhance runners' experience.

While running, Li follows the breathing rhythms prompted by his sports watch, which monitors metrics like heart rate and speed. "If my heart rate exceeds 180 beats per minute, the watch vibrates to remind me to slow down," Li said.

There are service stations along the running track. "There's one every kilometer, with a touch-screen display inside where you can follow guided movements for pre-run warm-ups and post-run stretching," Li said.

As dawn broke, exercisers were already visible along a greenway in Wuxing district, Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, including Bai Yiqiang, a retired teacher who practiced tai chi on the greenway.

"This used to be a muddy path, but the environment is much better now, with plants on both sides. Just looking at the greenway improves my mood and makes exercising very comfortable," Bai said.

Wuxing district has built 67 fitness trails of various types, totaling 258 kilometers in length, providing residents with perfect places to exercise.

In Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, fitness facilities are becoming increasingly common.

Yu Dan, a freelance content creator, frequently visits a gym located in Hongpailou Square in Wuhou district, Chengdu. The gym is popular among nearby residents. Yu can reach the gym with just a six-minute bike ride.

By the end of 2024, there were 152,000 gyms and 171,800 fitness trails with a total length of 407,600 kilometers in China.