Survey: 78.1 percent of respondents in China do online fitness

With the help of a route-tracking app, a runner participates in an online marathon event at a stadium in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, on April 12, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

A recent survey of 2,008 Chinese people shows that 78.1 percent of respondents do online fitness.

The survey was jointly conducted by the social survey center of China Youth Daily and online survey platform wenjuan.com.

Yi Lian, a university student in Beijing, recently exercised twice at her home in southwest China’s Sichuan Province using online content.

“Doing fitness by following fitness livestreaming sessions has become a routine for me,” said Yi.

“Some of my classmates were into doing fitness activities in the dormitories by following fitness videos during our freshman and sophomore years, and I joined them,” Yi explained.

Yi doesn’t like going to the gym because of the time it takes and the items she has to prepare. “But I can do online fitness anytime in an exciting atmosphere, and it’s cost-effective,” she said.

The survey showed that 50.6 percent of respondents developed a routine of keeping fit during the COVID-19 period, while 36.5 percent said they had always maintained the habit of exercising.

By doing online fitness, 73.2 percent of respondents said they maintained a healthy lifestyle, while 66.6 percent said that it put them in a better mood and gave them higher levels of energy. Furthermore, 50.8 percent of respondents believed that online fitness enriched their lives, and 26.9 percent said they had a more harmonious family relationship after doing online fitness.

Yi believed that online fitness has enriched her college life and enhanced her friendship with classmates.

“Although I feel sore and ache after working out, I do see physical changes after exercising. Compared to pictures of me taken two years ago, now my back is more straight, and I have defeated my belly fat,” said Yi, adding that developing a habit of exercise has health benefits.

“I feel good and happy after my workout every time. When I’m bored, exercise improves my sense of gain,” Yi said.

Wu Xiaowei and her 9-year-old child began doing online fitness together last year. According to Wu, she has become more lithe and energetic, and is even sleeping better after doing online fitness, which has improved her relationship with her child.

Meanwhile, 92.4 percent of respondents agreed that people should first develop a science-based awareness of online fitness before working out.

Among the respondents, 26.6 percent were born after 2000, 39.9 percent were post-90s, and 25.2 percent were post-80s.