Friday 13 April 2012

And another cute thing about Singapore...

...Old folks keeping fit. If you go to any open space here you will find alongside all the buff, sprinting youngsters, pensioners power-walking, stretching, doing QiGong / Tai Chi. I really admire this; and it must be very beneficial for health. One old guy - who must have been in his 70s - was doing sets of impressive press-ups in the local park yesterday, that many 20-somethings would struggle with. Not aggressively, just relaxedly and purposefully!

They have the climate for outdoor exercise here. But it's also cultural. You will find joggers and power-walkers in London parks too, but rarely anyone over 60. In the UK at least, older types might go for 'jaunty walks' across the countryside. But not a daily workout per se.

There seems to be a standard social acceptance here that the 'grey generation' like to keep fit (perhaps because traditional Chinese arts like Tai Chi are for all ages?) I don't think this acceptance exists in the same way in Europe, though I certainly hope to buck the trend when I hit 70!

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