A woman in her sixties in Linhai of Zhejiang province got the better of young man who tried to rob her shop and pinned him down until he was arrested. The woman has said that she owed her strength to square dancing. Square dancing, despite inviting criticism for its blaring music in public spaces, deserves people's understanding because it helps elderly people keep physically fit, says a commentary on the cnhubei.com. Excerpts:

Square dancing in China has acquired a bad name for the noise it creates. Usually, a large crowd of middle-aged and elderly women dance to loud music for hours in the evening, at times disturbing the peace of the neighborhood. It has been reported that a man fired a shotgun in the air and set his dogs on the people practicing square dancing near his house to scare them away.

It seems people have failed to recognize the positive aspects of square dancing, which is a good way for senior citizens to keep physically fit. And the greatest advantage of a physically fit elderly population is less pressure on the healthcare system.

Physically fit senior citizens can also help the law, as was demonstrated by the woman, surnamed Li, in Linhai of Zhejiang who got the better of a knife-wielding robber and pinned him to the ground until police arrived and arrested him.

Square dancing should be encouraged as long as the dancers don't disturb people in the neighborhood. It is important that the dancers keep the volume of music low and do not practice square dancing late into the night. And local authorities should arrange for better venues for the elderly to indulge in their favorite hobby.

The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.