In Taipei, Taiwan, a 90-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease was cheered by three generations of his family when he participated in a weightlifting competition for those over 70 years old.
In the three rounds of competition, Zheng Zhenmei lifted 35kg, 40kg and 45kg.
“I want to tell all the elderly to come and participate in sports. It doesn’t have to be too hard, but it is to stay healthy.” Cheng Chen said.
Competition officials say the event aims to help Taipei’s aging population, putting the country on track to become a “super-aged society”: a designation given to countries where at least 21% of the population is aged 65 and over.
Taiwan plans to establish 288 fitness clubs for the elderly nationwide by 2025, and the report predicts that the median age of the elderly will reach 48.7 years old by 2030.