Fitness center targets seniors with chronic conditions

Driven by the Healthy China 2030 national strategy, China is undertaking a massive, coordinated effort to ensure long-term care services to cope with its rapidly aging population.

In a small community fitness center in Tianjin, this effort can be seen as senior residents undergo tailored exercise regimens to help mitigate and ease chronic conditions.

Opened in August, the facility in the Fuminlu Community Health Service Center in Tianjin's Hedong district has already attracted over 1,000 participants.

Conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory illness are treated using an integrated medical and fitness approach with supervised exercise and lifestyle guidance. Chronic diseases, which develop slowly and are often incurable, are a growing concern in China's aging society.

The World Health Organization projects that China's chronic disease burden could rise by at least 40 percent by 2030.

According to official data, by the end of last year, more than 3.5 million of Tianjin's residents were aged 60 or above, with one-third of the population in Hedong district alone.

"As one of Tianjin's districts with the highest elderly population, community hospitals must respond proactively to the twin challenges of chronic disease and population ageing," said Yuan Dong, director of the Fuminlu Community Health Service Center. "Our health gym was established to meet the special fitness needs of residents with unique physical conditions."

Unlike conventional gyms, the community facility utilizes the center's medical resources. Staff announce weekly fitness programs through neighborhood WeChat groups, allowing residents to register online.

Participants undergo free health assessments before starting each new training cycle, with doctors recording blood pressure, blood sugar, flexibility and balance, as well as conducting electrocardiogram and mental health checks.

Each participant then receives a personalized "exercise prescription" outlining suitable workout types, frequency and intensity.

The current gym programs include weight management (aerobics, resistance training), muscle building (tai chi, brisk walking), and fall prevention (balance exercises, flexibility training).

At the gym's launch, there was extensive community outreach targeting over 10,000 seniors. "Currently, each training session attracts over 20 participants, with cumulative beneficiaries approaching 1,000 — and this number continues to grow steadily," Yuan said.

A 70-year-old woman surnamed Zhang has exercised at the gym for seven weeks.

"During a checkup at the community hospital last month, doctors identified me as overweight, but I was unsure how to change. Fortunately, they recommended this public welfare program," Zhang said.

"After a thorough assessment, doctors advised baduanjin (a traditional Chinese exercise) and health-promoting exercises based on my own condition, while helping me reduce dietary fat intake. Through over a month of effort, I've successfully lost 5 kilograms, finally achieving a normal weight range."

Yuan said: "Our goal is to support residents in achieving rational weight management — which doesn't solely mean weight loss. Especially for seniors, we help establish a healthier balance between weight and muscle mass. Now, our diverse exercise programs serve not only obese individuals but also those needing weight maintenance at normal levels and underweight individuals requiring weight gain."

The center also carefully considers residents' lifestyles and personalities. "Many solitary seniors desire social interaction, so we regularly organize group activities to enhance exercise enjoyment," Yuan said. "After workouts, participants share fitness experiences and life stories, helping many form meaningful friendships with like-minded peers."

The director said the center's outreach is set to extend even further.

"We plan to launch health management programs for adolescents during winter and summer vacations, extending benefits to more key populations. We aim to make weight management a 'golden key' to enhancing community health standards," she said.

Zang Yifan contributed to this story.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn