In downtown Beijing, a 24-hour fitness center chain is bustling with activity around the clock as office workers fill the 40-square-meter space to work out amidst their busy schedules.
More than 70 lockers are always occupied, while all the equipment is in constant use, with queues often forming for popular equipment such as the bench press rack.The gym operates in a high-rent space in an office building in Beijing’s financial district, known locally as Jinrongjie, just three kilometers west of Tiananmen Square.“The gym is tapping into a niche market by operating 24 hours a day, as many office workers here don’t finish work until 8 or 9 p.m.,” said Feelingme Fitness manager Zhang Pengfei.“You should keep an eye on the dumbbells during the break. If you get distracted by texting on your phone, someone might take them,” said Guo Xiaoyu, a new customer at the gym.24-hour gyms are popping up in cities across China, as fitness enthusiasts enjoy the convenience of fitting exercise into their busy schedules.According to the latest report on China’s sports and fitness industry released in early March, the number of gym members in the country is expected to surpass 87.5 million by the end of 2024.“After the news that netizens dubbed ‘The state asks you to lose weight’ went viral, I realized that I could no longer allow myself to be overweight, as it is a public health concern,” Guo said.The health tip Guo was referring to was a seven-minute speech delivered by Lei Haichao, head of China’s National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference on the sidelines of the national parliament’s annual meeting in Beijing in March.During the event, Lei announced plans to set up more weight management clinics in medical and healthcare facilities, aiming to help people lose weight safely and adopt healthier lifestyles. Social media platforms such as Weibo and rednote were abuzz with netizens’ reactions to the news.“It may sound strange for personal weight to be a government concern, but given the importance of public health to China’s modernization, it is worth raising awareness at the national level,” said Wang Yi, professor at the School of Political Science and Public Management at Shanxi University.Weight management guidelines released by the NHC warn that, without intervention, China's overweight/obesity rate could reach 70.5 percent by 2030, while the obesity rate among children could rise to 31.8 percent."In addition to people's increasing health awareness, gyms have become a driving force in the rapid development of the fitness industry due to their space efficiency compared to sports such as football, badminton or swimming that require special facilities or large spaces," said Wei Pengfei, a professor at Shenyang University in northeast China's Liaoning Province.
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