The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the China Institute of Sport Science (CISS) have launched a campaign to reach 100 million people in China by 2028, encouraging more active lifestyles and greater participation in physical activity through community programmes and digital tools.
The campaign comes amid ongoing public health concerns in China, where fewer than 40% of people regularly engage in physical activity and most adolescents do not meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended activity levels.
The IOC's Let's Move initiative, developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization, is activating communities worldwide ahead of Olympic Day on 23 June under the theme "You Can Do This". The campaign aims to encourage people to adopt and maintain healthier, more active lifestyles.
In China, the initiative is being delivered through 32 Community Sport and Health Centres, offering inclusive and accessible opportunities for people of all ages to take part in physical activity ahead of Olympic Day.
The centres combine local sporting events with digital tools designed to help participants discover, track and maintain regular exercise habits.
At a recent table tennis event in Hangzhou, participants aged between nine and 75 took part in a community programme designed to highlight the physical, mental and social benefits of sport.
China is working to establish itself as a leading sporting nation and has introduced policies aimed at increasing physical activity levels among children and adolescents. While overall participation has improved in recent years, challenges remain, with some indicators pointing to a concerning "inversion phenomenon".
Data from three surveys conducted between 2016 and 2022 by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance suggests persistent barriers to youth physical activity remain. In the 2022 Global Matrix 4.0 report, China ranked 53rd out of 57 countries and received an overall grade of D for physical activity.
The findings highlight continuing gaps in efforts to promote consistent physical activity among young people despite policy initiatives.
The initiative builds on commitments made at the Olympism365 Summit in June 2025, where the IOC and CISS outlined plans to expand access to health-focused sport and strengthen active communities.
It forms part of a broader IOC programme delivered in partnership with the World Health Organization and the NGO PATH, which is also being implemented in Ghana, Tanzania, Nepal, Peru and Vietnam.
Across these countries, the programme has reached more than four million people, supported 1.2 million participants in sport and physical activity, and trained more than 6,200 coaches, teachers, healthcare workers and youth workers to promote active lifestyles.
China has made physical activity a national priority through its 2021–2025 National Fitness Programme, which aims for 38.5% of the population to participate regularly in sport and targets a sports industry worth US$774 billion by 2025.
The sector has expanded rapidly, driven by rising investment, growing participation in fitness activities and the continued development of gyms and public sports facilities.
At the same time, digital fitness platforms, wearable devices and online training services have experienced strong growth, particularly since the pandemic, reshaping how people engage in physical activity.
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