Online fitness videos wins fame for singer Liu

JINAN, China, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese singer Liu Genghong (Will Liu) has become more and more famous recently, not from his songs, but from his fitness videos on social media.

The 49-year-old singer has posted several fitness videos on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Liu is usually seen exercising with the fast-paced tune of his friend Jay Chou's "Compendium of Materia Medica" and other works. So far, his account on Douyin has drawn 55 million followers and 53 million likes, igniting people's interest in indoor exercise.

According to Pu Zhengning, associate professor of Southeast University, the epidemic has limited access to gyms and fitness centers, therefore people need a set of simple aerobics without professional equipment, which was exactly the way Liu showed on social media platforms.

Since the epidemic outbreak in 2020, the downloads of apps concerning fitness have been increasing rapidly, indicating the growing popularity of online fitness. In the meantime, all these new styles of exercise helped prevent gathering and keep people fit, giving a hand to epidemic prevention.

According to a Douyin report in March, the number of fitness videos in 2021 increased by 134%, while followers of fitness trainers were up by 208% compared with the previous year.

Wei Fang, a student at Shandong Normal University, is one of Liu Genghong's fans. Wei also posted short videos on Douyin to record her exercise. "My major requires me to sit for a long time, sometimes for the whole day," Wei said. She started to follow Liu's fitness sessions to keep fit.

"Who could refuse a professional star personal trainer? Besides, when watching the livestream, I feel like working out with friends, which encourages me to hold on to the last minute," Wei said, adding that she has lost 3.5kg in seven days while getting more and more optimistic.

Cloud fitness is not a flash in the pan as only a few have gym club memberships. In the past, TV programs on aerobics already proved their popularity among audiences. Nowadays, simple and easy-to-learn exercise methods are getting more and more followers thanks to short-video platforms and social media.

Famous Olympian Su Bingtian also started an online fitness course on how to exercise at home on April 27. Many fans called Su "champion personal trainer" in the comment zone. Meanwhile, German fitness model Pamela Reif has attracted over 8.3 million followers on the social platform Xiaohongshu with her workout videos.

According to the 2022 Spring/Summer Sports and Fitness Consumption Trend Report released by Jingdong Institute of Consumer and Industrial Development, the sales of yoga and dance products have achieved rapid growth since March. The sales of yoga stretchers, yoga shoes, yoga domes and yoga bags increased by 868%, 816%, 110% and 104% respectively.

Along with several social media platforms, China's sports authority launched online games on April 28. Ding Dong, an official with China's General Administration of Sports told Xinhua, "The aim of the games is to inspire the masses' enthusiasm in participating in fitness exercise."