DM Monitoring
SHENYANG: As the novel coronavirus outbreak subsides in China, many Chinese are picking up their dropped fitness plans by visiting gyms and opting for a healthier diet.
Gao Huaxuan, a Shenyang citizen, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, has recently resumed his regular workout at a local gym. Gao was forced to halt his workout plan due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
“It had been more than a month since I last visited the gym,” said Gao, adding that he gained some weight despite maintaining a regular simple exercise regimen at home.
A healthy diet, in the meantime, is also regaining popularity.
A report released by Alipay, China’s leading digital payment platform, showed between March 19 and 25, the number of orders for salad and light meals in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province was 153 times higher than the week between Feb. 10 and 16. Orders in the neighboring provinces of Liaoning and Jilin also registered a sharp rise of 10 times and six times, respectively.
“I always end my workout with a chicken or beef salad, which is healthy and nutritious,” said Gao.
“Many of my colleagues enjoy eating ‘grass’ for lunch at work like me,” said Li Yuze, a Shenyang resident, who said she also put on a few pounds at home.
According to Zhang Sining, a researcher with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, the rising popularity of healthy meals and working out at gyms are signs that life is getting back to normal.
“With the epidemic easing in China, people are resuming their pursuit of a quality life,” said Zhang.
China is currently cautiously promoting business resumption and gradually reopening public venues. According to an announcement by local authorities in Shenyang, public venues including gyms, museums, libraries and beauty parlors are to resume business in an orderly fashion.
