Fitness in Japan on downward trend from pre-COVID levels: study

The physical fitness levels of most age groups in Japan declined in fiscal 2021 compared with two years earlier, before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, a recent government survey showed.But while the pandemic may have led to decreased opportunities for exercise, Hisashi Naito, a professor of exercise physiology at Juntendo University who assisted in the study, said the results "cannot be entirely attributed to COVID-19 as a variety of factors were involved."The survey, conducted by the Japan Sports Agency from May to October 2021, measured the physical strength and aptitude of app…READ FULL ARTICLE