This Day, That Year

ItemfromJune2,1991,in ChinaDaily:Keepingfitisthe newgrowthindustryinChina,withagymnasticsstar leadingtheway.

ChenJie,aformernational championinrhythmicgymnastics,ishelpingtoshapea brand-newbuthighlyprofitableindustry—aerobicsand bodybuilding.

More people are hitting the gyms and fitness centers as Chinese try to gain the perfect body and keep healthy.

The trend is also reflected in the popularity of long-distance running.

Last year, more than 320 marathons were held in China in which 2.8 million people participated, compared with just 400,000 runners in 2011, according to the Chinese Athletic Association.

In 1995, the government issued the Outline of the Nationwide Physical Fitness Program, pledging that sports and other health-building services would be aligned with economic development.

In 2014, the government included the fitness program in the national health strategy.

Last year, it released the National Fitness Program (2016-20), predicting that 435 million people will regularly play sports by 2020, and total sports-related consumption will reach 1.5 trillion yuan ($220 billion).

The fitness fad coincides with the growth of the mobile internet and a boom in entrepreneurships.

In the past two years, an estimated 1,700 sports and fitness apps have come online in China, most of them startups aimed at beginners.