Okay, this is viewed through a tourist's eyes and of course a few days, in sunny conditions away from the rain of an English summer, is no basis to paint a dogmatic picture of a nation but a few observations:
- There are far fewer morbidly obese Germans in comparison to our nation
- There are noticeably fewer fast-food outlets; at the Sunday market in the city centre there were three stalls selling fresh fruit within a 50 metres space and very popular they were too.
- The city is incredibly 'cycle-friendly' with safe cycle routes on the pavements down most major thoroughfares and pretty much every minor one. Again, these were well-used
- In the English Garden urban park (think Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London, there were climbing walls, river swimming, river surfing (an eye-opener this!), low-rope walking, racquet games as well as mass participation football, volleyball and other team sports, all taking part on an impromptu basis. In short, the emphasis was on active participation in outdoor events organised on a 'do-it-yourself basis.
- There was little evidence of 'Game Boy' consoles and the like amongst the children. They were too busy running around.
- The Olympic Park complex that was home to the 1972 Games is still a working, large scale sports facility.
Where does this emphasis on a healthy lifestyle come from? Who can say.
It must help being an economic powerhouse and having some measure of disposable income, the ability to invest public funds in infrastructure and being time-rich, but these are not unique to Germany. I imagine there is political will to legislate in favour of this kind of culture (the Green Party influence perhaps). Perhaps also (hide! Run for cover!) the legacy of the perfect Teutonic physical specimen from the relatively recent Nazi era, highlighted in German culture by Leni Riefenstahl, still burns strongly.
Whatever the reasons, one cannot fail to be impressed by the German attitude to health and fitness.
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