wellness
Exercise Reduces Anxiety for Tung Chung Residents, Study Finds
Regular movement offers a direct route to easing anxiety symptoms for people living near Tung Chung Town Centre.
How we reported this
People who walk or run three times a week along Tung Chung Promenade show measurable drops in anxiety scores within eight weeks, according to local health workers tracking participants since March 2025.
The finding arrives as Tung Chung’s population swells past 120,000 and many residents juggle airport shift work with family duties. Rising rents near Yat Tung Estate have added financial pressure, pushing more adults to seek low-cost ways to manage daily tension rather than rely on medication alone.
Programmes already running on local streets
The Tung Chung Sports Centre on Mei Tung Street runs a Tuesday evening circuit class that costs HK$80 per session and draws 35 to 40 residents each week. A separate morning walking group meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the entrance to Tung Chung North Park, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department under its Active Tung Chung scheme. Both groups record attendance through a simple sign-in sheet and share basic progress notes with participants.
Trainers at these sessions report that newcomers often mention sleep trouble or racing thoughts before they start. After four weeks most say they feel calmer on workdays, though no formal medical diagnosis is involved.
Numbers that back the local pattern
A 2025 Hong Kong-wide survey by the Department of Health found that adults who logged at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week reported 27 percent lower anxiety scores on the GAD-7 scale than those who stayed inactive. In Tung Chung the same pattern appears in the Sports Centre’s own six-month check-in data, where 62 participants reduced their average score from 9.4 to 6.8 after consistent attendance. Sessions remain open to anyone aged 18 and over, with no referral required.
Residents can begin with the free Thursday walks at Tung Chung North Park or sign up for the paid circuit class at the Sports Centre. Both options start from the same neighbourhood and require only comfortable shoes and a water bottle. People concerned about existing health conditions should speak with a doctor at the nearby Tung Chung Health Centre before increasing activity levels.