National calisthenics is a kind of calisthenics compiled by the customary actions of all ethnic groups in daily life, labor and fitness. Because different nationalities have different geographical distribution and cultural characteristics, their movements and rhythms are gentle and energetic, with strong local customs and national character. It is also the first time that the Eighth National Minority Games will incorporate this form of aerobics into the competition performance.

Judging from the number of participants, more than 200 athletes from 22 teams from different provinces in China participated in this competition. Judging from the situation of the competition, the action arrangement of the participating teams can be roughly divided into two parts. Part of it is mainly aerobics. Part of it is based on national dance.

National fitness exercise is a new type of physical fitness project produced in the process of new social and historical development. It combines popular national dance with aerobics movements, which not only inherits the excellent elements of national dance, but also opens up the modernity of national dance and integrates national culture with physical fitness.

It not only combines the arrangement principles, means and action routes of modern sports aerobics, but also retains the essence of national dance elements and national materials.

It is different from ordinary aerobics, and its root is nationality. In addition to the general characteristics of aerobics, it is required to create and arrange on the basis of national characteristics in clothing, action arrangement and music selection.

It is also different from national dance, because the main purpose of national calisthenics is to enable the broad masses of people to achieve the function of keeping fit and to inherit and protect the traditional culture of ethnic minorities, rather than a pure artistic expression, so national calisthenics belongs to the category of national traditional sports and is one of the derivative projects of traditional sports of ethnic minorities in China.