"One should avoid spending most of one's savings in the form of medical expense while on one's deathbed," said Li Feng, professor from the School of Public Health of Fudan University. Newly graduated health instructors keep Prof. Li's words in their hearts.

Shanghai's Shaijianlian Professional Training School has recently launched courses to cultivate health instructors. Trainees have just passed their graduation exams, and they believe people would entrust them with their lives.

A trainee by the name of Jiang told our reporter his experiences as an intern health instructor in the service of common citizens. A 60-year-old official Mr. Wu always thought he was healthy, and his health checkup showed nothing abnormal with him, too. Wu later became Jiang's client and received regular health instructions from him. Once when they chatted, Jiang suddenly found Wu stammered. He was then told that Wu felt exhausted and numbed in recent days. As a cerebral surgeon, Jiang realized he might suffer from apoplexy and urged him to see a doctor. The result proved Wu had slight cerebral obstruction. Wu appreciated his health instructor, and said, "If Jiang hadn't reminded me in time, I would have become a disabled person."

He Zhihao, associate professor from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was the only college teacher attending in the training courses. He said that people often had unhealthy exercises habits. For an example, he said, many people like to go in for morning runs, but such an activity is harmful to blood circulation, and would probably lead to sudden death. Prof. He indicated that 3-5 p.m. was the best time to take some exercises; because one's internal organs could make enough nutrition. He believed that health instructors should teach people how to preserve one's health. "Those who have cardiovascular system disorders need to take a rest at noon, and elderly people had better take some exercises in the morning, which would help them to strengthen their stomach and spleen functions. I learnt all these things in the training course," he said.

Currently China has a small number of health instructors, of whom only 200 working in Beijing and Shanghai. In US, nearly 70% of citizens have access to the service of health instructors.

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)