Aug 8, 2022 marks the 14th National Fitness Day. A series of fitness and grassroots sports activities were held across the country in celebration.

Authorities in East China's Zhejiang province released the 2021 national fitness activities in Zhejiang province report recently.

According to the report, in 2021, the proportion of the population who regularly participate in physical exercise in Zhejiang (excluding students) was 29.58 percent. Ningbo ranked first in the province with a rate of 30.62 percent.

The theme activities of National Fitness Day are launched in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province on Aug 7. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

The data in 2021 increased by 0.58 percentage points over 2020. The data shows that the fitness habits of urban and rural residents in Zhejiang are constantly being optimized. In recent years, the construction of sports facilities and services in public areas in Zhejiang has led more people to participate in physical exercise.

In addition, Zhejiang has achieved full coverage of urban and rural "15-minute fitness circle" convenient sports facilities. In 2021, Zhejiang built 1,040 grassroots sports venues and facilities. At the same time, Zhejiang also promoted the improvement of services at public sports venues, and carried out a comprehensive pilot program for the opening of public sports venues across the country. The annual opening hours of public sports venues in the province and the number of service workers increased by 14.6 percent and 16 percent, respectively, over the previous year.

From June to October this year, authorities in Zhejiang worked in conjunction with 27 provincial-level sports associations to launch 27 sports events in 26 counties and rural areas.