The signs on the fitness trails are quite fun
“Climbing here burns about 35 kcal, equivalent to 12 grams (4 spoons) of rice...” Recently, when climbing Jiangning Fangshan, citizens have been seeing such easy-to-understand and amusing signs that bring a smile to the faces of breathless hikers. These are called "fitness trails." Yesterday, an evening newspaper reporter learned from a "2013 Citywide Mass Sports Work Conference" held by the Nanjing Municipal Sports Bureau that the city will begin constructing 100 kilometers of fitness trails this year, mainly located in residential communities, parks, and riverside scenic areas.
Yesterday, reporters followed staff from the city and district sports bureaus while climbing Fangshan and discovered many mileage signs. For example, "Don’t overdo your climbing intensity — just check your heart rate. For ages 30–40, the recommended range is 130–150 bpm; for ages 40–50, it’s 125–135 bpm..." According to staff from the Nanjing Sports Bureau, Sun Biao, director of the Sports Health Science Department at Nanjing Sport Institute and a professor of exercise physiology, led graduate students who carried cardiopulmonary function instruments and hiked the mountain dozens of times. Through scientific testing and precise calculations, they designed this health exercise guide. The guide also utilizes QR code technology: "These figures are calculated based on the average physique of Chinese people and a moderate hiking speed. To obtain more accurate information on your personal energy consumption, please scan the QR code label and follow the instructions provided by the app."
Such "fitness trails" will appear near residents' homes within the year. Ge Fei, deputy director of the Nanjing Municipal Sports Bureau, said: "Each district should plan and design early, incorporating sports elements into existing fitness trails. At the very least, there should be trail signage. Where conditions allow, fitness equipment should be installed along the trails." Wang Jiangong, deputy director of the Jianye District Sports Bureau, told the Yangtze Evening News that currently, hardware for fitness trails in greenbelts around residential areas such as Lushan Road and Olympic Avenue is in place. The cobblestone ground feels great underfoot, and mileage signs and fitness facilities will soon be added to enhance citizens’ enjoyment of working out.
It is reported that earlier this year, the Nanjing municipal government work report proposed "initiating the construction of 100 kilometers of green fitness trails," and the Jiangsu provincial government included "building 400 kilometers of fitness trails" in its list of 10 practical projects. Currently, Nanjing has only two true "fitness trails" — on Zijin Mountain and Fangshan. The new trails to be built this year will be concentrated around residential areas, all within a 10-minute walk.
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The China Nanjing Zhuzhen Lake Cycling Invitational Tournament was held yesterday. The event attracted more than 200 cycling enthusiasts from across the country, with Wu Yunfei, a senior student from Shanghai International Studies University, winning the road race championship.
While the racers were competing fiercely on-site, many off-site cycling enthusiasts came to cheer them on. Outside the competition venue, the reporter met 68-year-old Master Tang and 65-year-old Master Wu, who had set off from Nanjing at around 4:00 a.m. and cycled for about four hours to reach the event. “We heard there was a cycling invitational, so we came specially to watch,” Tang told reporters with a smile. Since joining a seniors’ cycling group, he said he rarely gets sick.
This invitational tournament was co-hosted by the Luhe District Government and the Jiangsu Provincial Cycling Association. The event featured two categories: a 78-kilometer road race and a 20-kilometer mountain bike race. For the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, Luhe will host sailing events, and this cycling invitational will further establish Zhuzhen, with its unique mountainous resources, as a popular destination for cycling enthusiasts.