More venues, low costs, and high subsidies
Half of the Germans are in the gym
Aoki, the special correspondent of this newspaper in Germany
Germany is a country that is passionate about fitness. Recently, the German Olympic Sports Federation released a report showing that about 11 million people in Germany participate in fitness in clubs and 30 million people play sports in various sports associations, accounting for half of the total population of Germany.
"Going to the gym has become a favorite form of exercise in Germany." Klaus, head of the McFIT Fitness Club in Germany, told the Life Times that there are currently nearly 9400 gyms in Germany, and they are growing every year. As the largest health club in Europe, MCFIT has more than 250 gyms and 1.7 million members in Germany and Europe. Compared with gyms, various sports associations in Germany have a longer history, and many have a history of more than 100 years. The reporter learned that at present, there are 90,000 sports associations in Germany, including gymnastics, football, table tennis, tennis, swimming, running, dance and almost all sports.
Whether it's going to the gym or participating in various sports associations, the cost is not high. Hamburg Bank white-collar Teresa goes to the gym 3 times a week, she told reporters that the monthly fitness cost is only 20 euros (1 euro is about 7.76 yuan), which is equivalent to the cost of going to a restaurant to eat a meal, even if it is a more expensive health club, the monthly fee does not exceed 100 euros. If you join a sports association, the fee is lower. Bernheim 1860 Sporting Club on the outskirts of Frankfurt, with a history of 159 years. Currently, the sports club has 30,000 members and is the largest sports club in hesse. Members can participate in football, basketball, fitness and other programs, and members only need to pay a membership fee of 12 euros per month.
Of course, there are many Germans who do not join sports associations or go to gyms for various reasons, but they usually consciously participate in physical exercise. Munich fitness enthusiast Greta told reporters that there are large parks near residential areas in Germany, which have dedicated running paths and various fitness equipment. Moreover, there are many forests in Germany, and many people like to go to parks or forests for sports activities such as running after work or on weekends.
"The low cost of fitness for Germans is inseparable from government support." Klose, a health scholar at humboldt University School of Medicine in Germany, told reporters that the German government invests more than 200 million euros in sports every year, some of which is used to build various sports venues and other facilities to support people to participate in various sports. Not only that, but there are 8 million volunteers in various sports associations in Germany, and 350 coaches and 221 staff members in various positions in the 1860 sports club bernheim, more than 90% of whom are volunteers. Although volunteers do not have a salary, they can get preferential treatment such as social insurance, and some expenses can be reimbursed. Moreover, volunteers can participate in sports for free.
Plus, people who participate in fitness can get Medicare reimbursement or incentives. Health scholar Klose said that at present, major Medical Insurance companies in Germany are giving subsidies to insured people who participate in fitness, and some can even be reimbursed in full. Health insurers don't suffer because health-conscious policyholders tend to be healthier, saving the insurance company money. ▲