Shao Xiaofeng, a senior fitness instructor at a Beijing gym.
"Videos and photos can show you how to move, but they cannot tell how to breath or how strenuous your exercise should be," says Shao Xiaofeng, a senior fitness instructor at a Beijing gym. "Everybody is different, so fitness needs face-to-face instruction."
Shao says exercise is also a social activity among white-collar workers who live alone in big cities. "Some trainees find dating or business partners. They can't do that watching mobile phone at home."
Three years ago, he led 24 gym classes a month, but now the number is 50. His income has doubled, but he must compete against cheaper, unqualified services.
To stay competitive, Shao attends fitness conferences, strives for higher accreditation, and studies medicine, nutrition, anatomy and psychology.
Shao once considered running his own gym in Beijing, but the expensive rent turned him off: "Gyms in big cities are usually set up underground, because of the low rent."
Most Chinese gyms offer long-term memberships, usually for six months or a year, to offset the high cost. The fees can run to thousands of yuan - beyond the means of many people.
But coaches are optimistic about the future. "It is a budding industry. The competition will become more professional, and consumers more sensible," says Shao.
After all, a popular saying in China has it that "Breaking a sweat deserves a feast."
