Many people often say that March 27 every year is "Vietnam Sports Day". It is not wrong, but it is still lacking to fully understand the meaning of the traditional day of the industry. If it is just "sports", we forget a very important aspect - "gymnastics".
The difference is not only in words. President Ho Chi Minh wrote "A Call for the whole people to exercise", not for the whole people to "play sports". Right from the starting point, the orientation is very clear.
Sports are the surface, the community is easily seen. Sports are competition, there are achievements, there is comparison, competition. Physical exercise is different, more personal, and quieter. Morning exercise, walking, a few stretching movements, breathing... help the body function better, prevent disease, and maintain flexibility.
Physical exercise aims for longevity and long-term "profit". It is no coincidence that Uncle Ho emphasized, "Each healthy citizen means contributing to making the whole country healthy". From that perspective, personal health is not a private matter but a part of national health.
But reality is showing that there are people who "love sports but hate exercise". Meaning they are willing to watch, cheer for teams, athletes, spend the whole night watching football, but ignore taking care of their own bodies, cannot/do not want to spend 20 minutes each day on physical exercise.
The story of young people wasting time, ignoring health, disregarding nutrition, so that when they get older, they use time and money to regain their health is no longer new. Therefore, recently there has been a very thought-provoking opinion that "Vietnamese people don't know how to get old". Sports bring emotions, exercise to have health. Sports can make you happy and proud in a moment, exercise will determine how you live for many years. Therefore, understanding the 27th of March correctly is also a way to adjust your awareness. Not only is it a day to honor achievements, but also to look back at yourself.
Because in the end, a healthy nation is not measured by medals but by people who are capable of going through their lives proactively and steadily.
