Innovation helps conquer boredom at home

Fitness apps

The closure of gyms across the country has seen exercise addicts turn to fitness apps, with classes being livestreamed.

Mobile fitness community Keep used Douyin to broadcast its classes online, hosting three livestreaming sessions a day. Although the classes are free to view, the Keep instructor asks participants make comments and "like" the broadcasts.

Sun Feifei, an information technology engineer in Beijing, said she followed the classes every day during the Spring Festival holiday. "Exercise is part of my life, no matter what happens. Thanks to the internet, I can watch Keep classes at home during self-quarantine," she said.

On Jan 27, digital fitness and wellness brand Lefit launched a public exercise campaign. In cooperation with short video platforms, including Kuaishou and Douyin, the fitness startup, based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has uploaded more than 16,000 video clips to instruct people on exercising at home. The clips have been viewed more than 270 million times.

On Jan 30, the General Administration of Sport of China issued a notice, calling on sports departments at all levels to promote "simple and scientific" exercises at home, introduce "fitness knowledge" and advocate healthy lifestyles via television and the internet during the epidemic.

Some leading athletes, including former diving champion Gao Min, swimmer Sun Yang and ultra-marathon runner Chen Penbin have posted videos on social media showing their workout routines and offering advice for those exercising at home.