Physical education lessons go online amid epidemic in north China

HOHHOT, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Li Xuzhe, a 14-year-old boy, followed the video of the physical education class on the computer screen and practiced the standing long jump carefully in his living room in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

"Physical education is one of my favorite among all the online classes," Li said. "It can enhance my fitness and help me reduce pressure and maintain a good mood."

As an elementary school student in Hohhot Experimental Middle School, Li took the PE lessons online every morning for half an hour with his 3,000 schoolmates at the same time.

All the primary, elementary and high schools in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region opened online on Monday this week amid the epidemic.

Students took physical exercise courses that did not rely on the site and equipment through live broadcast and online videos.

"When I mastered the key points of the routines, I practiced at home or on the square of the residential community," Li said, adding that everyone should punch in after training every day.

Wang Yi, PE teacher from Hohhot Experimental Middle School, recorded three teaching videos per week, including the physical content of the high school entrance examination, physical recovery and stability training for middle school students. His wife worked as a camera person these days.

Facing the camera, Wang couldn't help being nervous and his prepared lines were always wrong. When the video was recorded properly, he also had to edit and match the subtitles.

"The 5-minute video often took me two or three hours to edit," he said. "Although I felt difficult sometimes, but I've mastered a new skill," he added.

Some PE teachers also taught easy-to-learn movements to their students who spent most time at home recently, such as squats, tummy rolls, jumping jacks, so that students could quickly warm up, burn fat and increase vital capacity.

"I learned from my teacher to stretch with a towel at home and foot padding exercise," Hohhot No. 36 Middle School student Feng Yuan said. "I felt fresh all day after doing these within a few minutes," he added.