A survey released on Monday said the 30-39 age group in China lacks regular exercise due to their high working pressure and fast-paced life as well as the absence of facilities such as tennis courts.
Overall, Chinese adults are exercising more and their awareness towards fitness has improved significantly over the past seven years, according to the National Fitness Survey by the General Administration of Sport of China.
The survey, which analyzed data from 135,229 respondents from 31 provinces and municipalities, found that 33.9 percent (including children and teenagers) often participate in exercises in 2014, reflecting a 5.7 percent increase compared with 2007.
Among the 6-19 age group, the main reasons for children and adolescents participating in sports and exercise are "for fun", "for good health" and "for good P.E. marks" which go towards the high school entrance exam.
16.9 percent of the respondents aged 6 to 19 said they want to become professional athletes to "win honor for the country" and "present their athletic ability". In the over 20s age group, the ratio of people who believe that it's important to do exercise has increased to 93.8%.
The survey said that the number of urban and rural citizens aged above 20 who regularly jogged as their main exercise in 2014 increased 12.8 percent, while people's annual spending on exercise and sports goods increased to an average of 926 yuan ($145), reflecting an increase of 52% compared with 2007.
The public's growing awareness of the importance of exercise and the population's participation in mass fitness activities should take some of the credit for the increase.
"Lack of time for physical activity" and "not enough facilities for exercising" are the two main barriers for Chinese people when it comes to exercising. Liu Guoyong, director general of Group Division of General Administration of Sport said that government should take more responsibility in narrowing the gap and "We also called for and encourage social organizations to join in."
