Plenty of sweat and a few tears shed in the quest for a healthy lifestyle

When I learned that students at Yunnan University would not be entitled to a diploma if they failed physical education tests, I was deeply relieved that I didn't have to go through such an examination.

Passing PE tests was one of the biggest challenges during my undergraduate studies. I have never liked physical exercise and have been overweight since primary school.

These tests are a painful memory for me, as I was usually among the last to finish them. My only relief was that schools, teachers and students did not pay much attention to PE at that time.

In high school, as we prepared for what is considered the most important test for Chinese students, the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, our teachers only encouraged us to go outside to relax after they saw us spending too much time on our studies.

So when I entered university, passing PE tests was almost mission impossible. The tests were scheduled near the end of each semester, and I prayed for rain every time, so that they would be canceled.

Unfortunately, my prayers often went unanswered. I remember that after finishing the 1,000-meter run in the first semester, I was so out of breath it felt as though I was about to die. Naturally, I failed the test and took about 40 seconds longer than the pass time to complete it.

Along with several other students, I did not pass the test when we retook it a few weeks later, but the teacher let us pass.

In my second year of undergraduate studies, I decided to lose weight, as I wanted to improve my fitness. I ran almost every night in the university playground, starting with a single lap. Eventually, I could run 10 kilometers in an hour. However, I didn't enjoy this process, which involved lots of sweat and even tears.

I lost 30 kg in 18 months, and in my junior year, passing the PE tests was easy.

However, after I began postgraduate studies, there were no PE courses and tests, and I began to gain weight as I tried to compensate for the intense academic pressure by overeating.

After a period of intense exercise, I lost weight in my second year of postgraduate studies, but put it back on when I started work. Now, I am trying to shed kilos for the third time.

My battles with weight are a reminder of just how important it is to develop a healthy lifestyle and interest in PE from childhood.

I have always preferred a sedentary lifestyle, and although I tried to lose weight when I began to develop an interest in running, this was not a genuine love, more about reaching a goal.

Even when I do achieve such a target, the strong temptation of unhealthy food means that my motivation to run falls by the wayside.

China's education system puts too much emphasis on important exam scores, which basically determine which high school and university a student can go to. As a result, they lack the desire to spend a lot of time exercising outdoors.

Some parents only pay attention to fitness levels when their children become ill or seriously obese, and often overlook their poor performances in PE tests if they achieve high scores in exams.

The government has started PE reforms by placing more emphasis on students' fitness in their overall evaluations, providing more PE faculty, improving sports facilities at schools, and most important, increasing the weighting of important PE tests.

However, just like shedding kilos, such reforms will take a long time and strong determination before producing results.