March 28, 2008

Boomers Work-Out In Hong Kong’s Public Parks

Beyond the traditional sports such as Tauijiquan exercises in the morning, there are many work-out parcours in parks or estates in Hong Kong and Macau. When PSFK Germany was in the region recently, it was surprising to see those areas being used and accepted by so many elderly people who were doing their work-out. Hard to imagine to see any German seniors working out in a park like this. While it seems to be possible to grow older and remain an active lifestyle in China, being elderly in western society at the same time predetermines you to be totally passive.

An article in The Globe and Mail last year reported about a Playground for seniors in Berlin that offered similar facilities as the ones seen in Hong Kong. The article states that mid-aged people were more likely to accept the playground while the older audience was rather resistant against this offer:

On a sunny morning this week, a white-haired woman with a cane sat on a park bench, watching the passing scene. The fitness park behind her was empty – but for two bunnies. Asked what she thought of the concept of a playground for seniors, she balked: “Forget it. At my age, nobody’s going to tell me what to do!”

We have collected some photos in a Flickr Set.

Article categories: Health & Beauty, Sports, Trends In Asia