01 perspective
Written by: Commentary Editor
2019-11-26 15:30
Last updated: 2019-11-26 15:31The life of urbanites is busy, and many office workers' sports memories may go back a long time. Faced with the same situation, young people all over the world are sitting still at a young age. The World Health Organization released its first survey on global youth exercise volume on Friday (22). It was found that more than 80% of youth exercise volume is insufficient.
The World Health Organization published a study in the medical journal "Acupuncture Children and Adolescent Health", which surveyed data from 1.6 million adolescents aged 11 to 17 in 146 countries between 2001 and 2016. The survey found that 85% of girls and 78% of boys exercise less than an hour a day. The “quiet” impression of women, the masculine label of some sports, more or less discouraged girls in front of the playing field. In modern society, more attention is paid to adolescents' academics than physical fitness, which also makes teenagers do more homework than physical exercise.
In modern society, young people pay more attention to adolescents' academics than physical fitness. It also makes young people to do homework more than physical exercise. (Profile picture / Photo by Zhang Qianyi)
Promotion campaign starts from the venue
The stadium is not enough. The government should actively open the existing sports land for students and review whether the facility charges are too high for students. The World Health Organization reported in the report that whether students have enough time for exercise depends not only on the allocation of class hours and after-school activities, but also on "the availability of sports and leisure facilities" and "whether students can afford it."
There are not enough sports venues in Hong Kong. Basketball courts and badminton courts in stadiums are often full, which inevitably causes students to abandon the "Book Arena". First of all, the Government should strive to crack down on speculation in the venues, prevent individuals from making profits from the LCSD venues, and allocate government resources to citizens who really need them. Secondly, the Government must also fundamentally increase the amount of sports land in Hong Kong. Take the number of gyms in Hong Kong as an example. There are currently 100 gyms in Hong Kong. Based on the figure of 7.4 million people in 2017, each gym serves an average of 74,000 people, exceeding the recommendations of the Planning Standards by 5 to 65,000. The competition is fierce and the situation needs to be improved.
Not only is it difficult to find, but also because the students do not have a stable income, the rent may place a burden on the students. The LCSD should consider placing restrictions on student concessions in its venues to encourage students to exercise more during the holidays. At present, full-time student discounts at the LCSD's gyms are limited to use before Monday to Friday at 6:00 pm and on Saturdays before 1:00 pm. The price is close to half the price, but public holidays cannot benefit. However, Hong Kong students are currently facing tight class hours, and there are a lot of cram schools waiting for students after school. The LCSD should give students certain discounts at other times when resources permit, such as around 30% off, encourage students to do more sports, and balance the rights of sports workers during holidays.
The LCSD should consider placing restrictions on student concessions in its venues to encourage students to exercise more during the holidays. (Profile picture / Photo by Zhang Qianyi)
Are girls tired of sports "Wen Jing" tired?
The survey also found that only 15% of girls exercise more than an hour a day, and the compliance rate is lower than 22% of boys. Gesold, who led the research, pointed out that this aspect is related to the culture in some countries that requires girls to avoid sports and stay at home; on the other hand, some sports are often labeled as "male-only", which inevitably stops girls.
It is difficult to reverse the gender stereotypes of culture, but schools can still play a role in encouraging girls' movement. For example, football, basketball, and other sports, most of the boys are seen on the school sports ground. The academic world has always held competitions for men and women's football and basketball, but there are generally more schools that register for men's events than women's events. The Education Bureau should encourage schools to form school teams for boys and girls in different sports. Regardless of gender, potential secondary and secondary students are recommended to participate in school team training. Gradually remove the "male-only" label from some sports to encourage girls to participate in sports.
Global youth insufficiency is worsening and youth are facing a health crisis. A report authoring a call for global governments to act now for the health of this and the next generation of adolescents. It is time for Hong Kong to reflect on the past sports development policy of "first achievement, then promotion". It is not possible to wait until the cycling competition wins and build a cycling hall before the football team wins gold to promote football. The Government should review whether the existing sports facilities and school facilities can give young people sufficient sports space, and encourage youth sports to make a little commitment to the health of young people.
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