Over 200 local residents in southeastern coastal city of Xiamen Saturday took part in a "fitness walking", a new type of walking exercise with the help of "double sporting-crutches", under the guidance of a professional fitness coach.

Xiamen Evening News reports that the special crutches fitness walkers use can highly speed up their walking pace and help relieve the burdens of their knees, joints and other body parts. The crutches-supported fitness walking can help one consume 400 calories of energy per hour, 30 percent more than the 280 calories consumption by normal walking.

More than 200 local people joined a fitness walking, supported by double sporting-crutches in Xiamen on Saturday, July 14, 2007.

Fitness walking was originated in Finland, northern Europe. It later became fashionable around Europe and the U.S. since it is an easily practicable and acceptable way of exercising at any time and at any place.

(CRIENGLISH.com July 16, 2007)