This study deals with the “healthy china” initiative and exercise adherence of students in Hunan, China. The study is descriptive-comparative- correlational research which utilized the researcher-made instrument validated by the experts in the field of physical education. The researcher utilized the 370 student respondents who were chosen using the random sampling technique.
The study revealed that majority of the student respondents are female, in their first year, and in the Electronics and Information program. The findings indicate that the "Healthy China" initiative is generally well-implemented across various dimensions, with composite means ranging from 3.18 to 3.33, all interpreted as "High." The findings indicate that students acknowledge the positive impact of exercise on their leisure satisfaction, psychological well-being, and perceived physical shape. While exercise is generally viewed as beneficial, individual perceptions vary, particularly regarding stress relief and noticeable physical changes. The findings indicate that significant differences exist in students' assessment of the "Healthy China" initiative based on sex, grade level, and academic program, with female students perceiving higher sport participation, upper-year students valuing health and social benefits more, and program-specific variations in sport participation, skills mastery, and mental health cultivation, while other factors showed no significant differences. The findings indicate that exercise adherence is generally consistent across sex, grade level, and academic program, with no significant differences in leisure satisfaction, psychological well-being, or overall adherence, except for minor variations in perceived physical shape among certain grade levels and academic programs. The findings suggest that specific components of the "Healthy China" Initiative, such as Health First Ideology, Interest Stimulation in Sports, Physical Health Promotion, Mental Health Cultivation, and Social Adaptation, are positively associated with aspects of exercise adherence, particularly psychological well-being and leisure satisfaction; however, the overall implementation of the initiative does not significantly predict students' overall exercise adherence.
It is recommended that schools and universities should integrate health- focused education into curricula and extracurricular activities to reinforce students' awareness and motivation for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Institutions should introduce diverse sports programs, provide engaging activities, and promote recreational sports opportunities to sustain students’ enthusiasm for physical activity. Educators and trainers should ensure that training intensity and workload are balanced, focusing on student enjoyment and self-perception to maintain motivation. Schools should implement more structured wellness programs, counseling services, and relaxation techniques to holistically support students’ well-being. Institutions should create more opportunities for team- based sports, group fitness activities, and social engagement through physical education to foster a sense of community and belonging. A more integrated approach that connects all aspects of the initiative—health education, structured fitness programs, and psychological support—should be developed to maximize its effectiveness. Policymakers should consider designing targeted health and exercise initiatives that cater to the specific needs and preferences of different student groups to enhance participation and adherence