According to 2019 Cigna 360° Well-being Survey, Hong Kong’s overall well-being index is at 57.7, the fourth lowest health and well-being score surveyed with only Turkey, Taiwan and Korea placing lower.1 The main reason is a lack of exercise, which may lead to increasing risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and some cancers, as revealed by Lancet Global Health Journal.2
Active families, healthy kids
Another survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that Children and teenagers in Hong Kong are more glued to electronic screens than they were two years ago.3 The physical fitness of local youths was far behind other cities in Asia including Japan and Taiwan. Shortage of living space, limited access to sports facilities, parents’ long working hours and the youth’s academic pressure all contribute to kids’ below-standard fitness level.
Exercising is not Hong Konger’s favorite pastime
When asked about the frequency of exercising in the past six months, up to one-third of adult respondent answered rarely or no exercises. Among those who are inactive, more than half said that they are too busy and have no time for exercises. Another 13.6% said “exercising is too hard”, and another 10.7% said “they do not like doing exercises”.4
Effective exercise doesn’t take long
Contrary to our perception, effective exercising is easy and quick. The WHO recommends that the minimum exercise needed is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of High-intensity physical activity per week. That makes 10-20 minutes of exercises only per day!2
Simple exercises for beginners5
Here is an example of 10-minute exercise you can complete every night when watching TV or waiting for the water heater to reheat. It can easily be squeezed into any part of your schedule.
- Squats: 30 seconds
- Knee push-ups: 30 seconds
- V-ups: 30 seconds
- Mountain climbers: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Repeat this routine four times
Making use of technology
We depend on our phones so much, so why not use them for fitness purposes? Download from a myriad of fitness apps, where you can record and measure your progress for better results. There are also millions of exercising videos online that will make you sweat in less than 10 minutes. Make the Right Choice for Your Health and click on one to start your routine now!
Reference:
- 2019 Cigna 360° Well-being Survey
- SCMP - Exercises for people short of time – as little as three minutes a day is enough
- SCMP - Hong Kong’s youngsters more glued to their screens than 2 years ago and their physical fitness is alarmingly low, study finds
- CUHK - Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies - Survey Findings on Attitudes towards Physical Exercises in Hong Kong
- SELF - Here’s A Quick 10-Minute Bodyweight Workout For Beginners
© Cigna Healthcare 2023
Information provided in this article is intended for health and fitness purposes only and is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease (see Terms & Conditions for details). Any health-related information found in this article is available only for your interest and should not be treated as medical advice. Users should seek any medical advice from a physician, especially before self-diagnosing any ailment or embarking on any new lifestyle or exercise regime. Any information contained in this article may not be suitable, accurate, complete or reliable. Cigna Healthcare accepts no responsibility for the content or accuracy of information contained on external websites or resources, or for the security and safety of using them. "Cigna Healthcare" and the "Tree of Life" logo are registered trademarks of Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. in the United States and elsewhere, licensed for use. All products and services are provided by or through operating subsidiaries, and not by The Cigna Group.
