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In support of the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games (EAG), a series of walk-in exercise sessions have been organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).
The "EAG Exercise" sessions will be held in the departmentˇ¦s designated parks and leisure venues throughout the 18 districts from today (June 1) until August 6.
The department cordially invites members of the public to participate in the free walk-in sessions to show their enthusiasm for the coming EAG.
Qualified instructors will be stationed at the venues during the exercise sessions, and they will guide the participants to join the appropriate levels of the EAG Exercise according to their physical abilities. Admission is free.
The LCSD invited the Gymnastics Association of Hong Kong, China, to design the EAG Exercise, which is a programme of creative and sporty exercises that use the melody of the EAG theme song,"You are the Legend", as background music. It comprises different sports and gymnastic motions.
There are four levels of the EAG Exercise, namely Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold, to cater for various abilities of participants with different levels of physical movement. Participants may learn in a gradual fashion, training themselves up progressively for challenges and advancement.
(1) Basic level - Participants practise the exercise in a sitting position. The movement is simple and mainly involves the upper part of the body including both arms. This level is ideal for beginners, the elderly and children.
(2) Bronze level - Participants practise the exercise also in a sitting position. Apart from movements of the body above the waist, there are also some leg movements. This level of exercise is faster and more complex.
(3) Silver level - Participants practise the exercise in a standing position. It entails more bodily motions, involving the arms and legs and incorporates various sports and meanings of the 2009 EAG theme song lyric. The exercise is more active, energetic and complex.
(4) Gold level - Participants practise the exercise also in a standing position. It is suitable for those who have mastered the Silver level and are setting themselves more challenges. The body movements are in tune with each sentence of the lyrics so as to bring out the meanings of the theme song. Numerous dancing moves like jumping, stepping and turning make the exercise more active and energetic.
For the venues, date, time and enquiry phone numbers for the "EAG Exercise" walk-in sessions, please refer to the attached annex. The information has also been uploaded onto the LCSD's webpage (www.lcsd.gov.hk).
The 2009 East Asian Games will be held in Hong Kong from December 5 to 13. It is the first large-scale multi-sports international event ever held in Hong Kong. More than 3,000 athletes from nine East Asian countries/regions will vie for 281 gold medals in 23 sports. Both the number of sports and medals are the largest in the EAG's history.
Ends/Monday, June 1, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:01
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