At the break of dawn, members of a particular subset of early risers head to neighborhood parks and school campuses to start their day with a workout. Many of these early-morning exercisers are retired senior citizens, though there are also some younger adults among their ranks.
Some people jog or walk by themselves, but most seem to prefer exercising in groups. Various forms of tai chi and folk dancing are popular activities among Taiwan’s early-morning exercisers. Sessions are typically led by an experienced participant rather than a paid instructor, and the groups tend to be loosely structured, with people joining and leaving as they wish.
The benefits of regular exercise are well known. In fact, both Chinese tradition and Western research agree that it is best to start the day with a moderate workout. However, only a small proportion of Taiwanese people exercise in the mornings. Most, it seems, find the comfort of their beds too appealing.
Morning activities generally cease by the time traffic starts to build up. The exercisers head home and freshen up before continuing their daily schedules with positive spirits and renewed energy—all thanks to a re-energizing session of tai chi or a relaxing jog in the day’s first light.
Write to Jim Hwang at cyhuang03@mofa.gov.tw
A jogger warms up before a morning run at New Taipei City’s Xinzhuang Sports Park. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
A variation of tai chi involving swordplay (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
A traditional form of exercise designed to improve the flow of a practitioner’s qi called jingluo quan is popular among early-morning exercisers. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Younger exercisers tend to favor solo pursuits such as jogging. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Members of older generations typically participate in group activities such as dancing. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
According to both Chinese tradition and Western research, it is beneficial to start the day with a moderate workout. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)