The Orchard Road Business Association and Health Promotion Board are organising activities from exercise sessions to wellness workshops for a year, as part of an initiative to keep the 60,000 workers on the shopping district healthy.

Touted as the first precinct-wide health initiative, the programme known as "Work Great on a Great Street" also includes free health screenings by the Singapore Medical Specialists Centre at Paragon shopping mall.

To date, organisers said around 8,000 have already taken part in about 160 activities.

The Orchard Road Business Association said many programmes are tailored to workers in the retail and food services sectors, where there are many mature workers and those who do shift work.

Orchard Road will also be smoke-free from July 1, with smoking allowed only at designated areas.

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