Staying fit amid COVID-19

July 4, 2021

Healthy lifestyle:

The Online Interactive Sports Training Programmes enable participants to do home workouts with professional guidance in real time.

Expert training:

Designed by relevant national sports associations, the courses are taught by professional coaches and suitable for people of all ages.

Timely measure:

Parent-child fitness programme coach Hermia Chow says the scheme helps people to stay healthy and coaches remain gainfully employed during the epidemic.

Sage advice:

Fitness yoga programme coach Candy Lee reminds participants to understand their physical condition before doing exercise. If they feel unwell during the lesson, they should gradually stop.

Download Video| Transcript

Voiceover:
The Leisure & Cultural Services Department’s contractor is setting up a site in a sports centre to prepare for an online lesson.

Hip-hop dance programme coach Yanny Lau (Translation):
Let me first introduce what we will be doing in this lesson. To begin with, we will do a few warm-up exercises. Then, I will show you the basic movements of hip-hop dance.

Voiceover:
To encourage members of the public to exercise at home during the COVID-19 epidemic, the department has launched the Online Interactive Sports Training Programmes. 

With professional coaches as teachers, the programmes offer various types of sports for enrolment, including hip-hop dance, aerobic dance, fitness exercise, body-mind stretching, parent-child fitness, tai chi and fitness yoga.

The courses are designed by relevant national sports associations and suitable for people of all ages. Each course consists of two or three one-hour sessions.

Parent-child fitness programme coach Hermia Chow (Translation):
I am playing the role of the adult and you are the child. I hold a bath towel like this and you start to shake it. This movement enhances muscular fitness as it works to strengthen the arms.

We add elements of physical fitness into games that are designed to encourage participants to play together. Also, we add stretching exercises in the lessons to improve flexibility and range of motion in the joints.

There is one drawback to teaching online. We are unable to instantly offer help to each participant and see their response to the exercises. We often ask them to show a V-sign once they have completed a movement so that we know they have finished. We also ask them questions and encourage them to give a response because we know that more interaction can raise their attention.

Hi, moms and dads, are you doing exercise together with your kids? This is a parent-child fitness programme. Remember to exercise with them.

Under the epidemic, many people stay at home without outdoor exercise. These programmes create a win-win situation. In addition to offering children and their parents an opportunity to stay healthy, coaches can remain gainfully employed.

Voiceover:
Participants should prepare their desktops, laptops or mobile devices by downloading the Zoom software in advance. Before the lesson, reserve an area of about 4 sq m and clear your surroundings to avoid danger.

Fitness yoga programme coach Candy Lee (Translation):
Before doing exercise, it would be better for partakers to understand their physical condition. If they feel unwell during the lesson, they should gradually stop.

People can resume doing exercise through this online platform. Make exercise a daily habit and stay active to improve your health.

Voiceover:
Some courses for the new phase of the programmes are already open for enrolment and each is available on a first come, first served basis. The course fee is $20. Visit the department’s website for details.

Fitness yoga programme coach Candy Lee (Translation):
The lesson is coming to the end. Hope you enjoy the fun of doing exercise. See you next time.

Doing workouts with professional guidance amid various social distancing rules has been made easy, thanks to a Leisure & Cultural Services Department’s scheme.

With professional coaches as teachers in real time, the Online Interactive Sports Training Programmes - launched since January - offer various types of sports for enrolment, including hip-hop dance, aerobic dance, fitness exercise, body-mind stretching, parent-child fitness, tai chi and fitness yoga.

The courses are designed by relevant national sports associations and suitable for people of all ages to exercise at home. Each course consists of two or three one-hour sessions.

Ideal solution

Parent-child fitness programme coach Hermia Chow expressed deep appreciation to the department for helping people to stay fit using this unique online gateway.

“Under the epidemic, many people stay at home without outdoor exercise. These programmes create a win-win situation. In addition to offering children and their parents an opportunity to stay healthy, coaches can remain gainfully employed.”

Ms Chow said teaching online is challenging, as coaches are unable to instantly offer help to each participant and see their response to the exercises.

“We often ask them to show a V-sign once they have completed a movement so that we know they have finished. We also ask them questions and encourage them to give a response because we know that more interaction can raise their attention.”

Easy preparation

Before the lesson, participants should prepare their desktops, laptops or mobile devices by downloading the Zoom software in advance. They should also reserve an area of about 4 sq m and clear their surroundings to avoid danger.

Fitness yoga programme coach Candy Lee reminded participants of the importance of understanding their physical condition before doing exercise. If they feel unwell during the lesson, they should gradually stop, Ms Lee stressed.

Some courses for the new phase of the programmes are already open and each is available on a first come, first served basis. The course fee is $20. Visit the department’s website for details.