The State Council on June 23 issued a plan to implement a national fitness strategy and improve the physical fitness and health level of the whole nation.

According to the plan, by 2020, a significant increase is expected in the number of people doing physical exercises, and the people’s physical quality will be steadily improved. Educational, economic and social functions of the national fitness program will be brought into full play to promote the development of various social undertakings. The total scale of sports consumption will reach 1.5 trillion yuan. And the national fitness program will become a driver for promoting the development of the sports industry, increasing domestic demands and forming new economic growth points.

A variety of fitness activities and special sports items will be developed to enrich and improve the national fitness system, the plan said.

The plan also stresses the construction of public sports facilities. Great efforts are required to build small and medium-sized sports venues, county-level stadiums, national fitness centers, community-level multifunctional sports fields and other fitness facilities that are convenient for people to use. And the per capita area of sports fields will reach 1.8 square meters.

Teenagers are the focus group in implementing the national fitness program, the plan said. Vigorous efforts should be made to strengthen sports education in schools and improve youths’ physical quality. Soccer and winter sports should also be popularized.