China Daily

Fitness now big biz

New-age firms transform urban lifestyles>

- By WU YIYAO in Shanghai wuyiyao@chinadaily.com.cn

Saturday mornings appear to be ideal for fitness-crazy Shanghai groups to have fun in the form of dance-like workouts outdoors.

Some 500 lined up last Saturday to join a one-hour event. The venue was discolike. Les Mills, one of the world’s largest developers of group workouts, kicked off its global tour for 2016 beside the shimmering Huangpu.

On the dais, five coaches gave instructio­ns to the fitness fanatics, who pushed up weight-laden barbells in sync with the beats of rock-androll music.

“It feels more like a party than an early morning workout,” said Zhang Qiong, 26, who woke up at 6 am to attend the morning’s first class.

Phillip Mills, CEO of Les Mills, said it is not surprising Chinese people are passionate about group workouts, given the proliferat­ing gyms and fitness programs.

Les Mills’ programs are provided to 8 million people by 90,000 teachers in more than 17,000 clubs around the world every week.

The firm is eyeing fast growth in China. “Workouts have become a lifestyle. People believe they are good for work-life balance. As far as I know, China has more than 18,000 brands of gyms and workout programs. Les Mills has been popular around the world. Now, it’s getting increasing­ly welcomed across the nation,” said Phillip Mills.

“China’s fitness market, including gyms and program developers, needs consolidat­ion after the fast growth. In the long run, we’re confident the market size is really going to expand to a significan­t size.”

According to a research note from Euromonito­r Internatio­nal, demand for fitness in China has become one of the top ten drivers of the consumer market. Other drivers include clothing, leisure, entertainm­ent, food and beverages.

Joey Chio, senior associate director of Savills China Retail Tenant Representa­tion, said that athletics-related leisure, also called “athleisure” by fitness fans, has been gaining market share in clothing in recent years. Brands such as Lululemon and Under Amour have become trendy in the retail landscape.

Its spillover effect has been that opportunit­ies arose for players in other sectors, like mobile applicatio­n developers. Keep, a smartphone app which teaches workout tips and training programs through video clips, now boasts 50 million users. It received C round investment­s from, among others, technology giant Tencent Holding Ltd. This, just two years after launch.

“Fitness has become popular due to many factors. There is government policy to develop the sports sector. Lifestyles are changing with more focus on health. There is a cultural trend toward sexy six-pack figures. There is middle-class anxiety about the costs of ill health and peer pressure to look better. You want to prove you can afford to hit a gym to stay active,” said Julian Chow, an analyst with Shanghaiba­sed Tang Yue Culture and Communicat­ion.

Fitness market insiders said China’s health clubs and gyms still face some challenges, and measures are needed to make the market more transparen­t and fair.

“Piracy of choreograp­hy, unsafe exercise instructio­ns given by untrained coaches, and poorly regulated membership pricing are hindering the developmen­t of the fitness market. As the market gets more mature and competitio­n fiercer, consumers will have more options, which should improve standards,” said Michael Yip, a coach with Tera Wellness Club.

8 million number of consumers who buy Les Mill’s fitness programs worldwide

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 ?? XINHUA ?? A fitness program consumer checks readings on an app while exercising at a club in Beijing.
XINHUA A fitness program consumer checks readings on an app while exercising at a club in Beijing.

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