2014 Hong Kong Bodybuilding Championships (Photo : Getty Images)

Gym membership, yoga lessons and hiring private trainers used to be the domain of the rich in China. Those services cost between 200 yuan and 500 yuan an hour, so before, only wealthy Chinese engage in these activities.



However, because many young Chinese dream of sculpted bodies, they consider going to the gym as a necessity and just pay membership using credit card installments. Unless they are able to work out at the end of the day, young Chinese feel they are not at ease, said Zhang Di, a personal coach, reported South China Morning Post.




Techcrunch estimated that majority of Chinese millennials, or those aged 18 to 35, about 385 million go to the gym, run marathons or take part in exercises. Some play and watch sports, joining the global trend toward fitness.



Zhang said he has a lot of clients who are office workers, but returned from overseas studies. “They like a strong, fit look and have visible arm muscles, which is beyond the imagination of people living in earlier times,” Zhang explained.



Those who could not afford yet gym memberships could follow videos on a yoga mat at home or wherever they are. The aspiration for toned arms and flat tummies come from a desire to have bragging rights to desirable bodies.



Others download Keep, the most popular fitness app in China developed by the Beijing Calories Information Technology which has been downloaded 40 million times up to June, of which 10 million are active users. The daily said that 63 percent of those who have the app are below 30 years old and 25 percent in their 30s.





