Seniors swap sofas for sweatpants

COVID-19 shutdown

During the COVID-19 outbreak last year, the gym Xu Baomin used to visit almost every day closed for several months in line with disease control and prevention orders.

The resident of Jinan, capital of Shandong province, found the period hard to endure because he felt weaker than before and he gained at least 2 kg as a result of the lack of exercise.

"After you have developed the habit of doing something at a certain time every day, you feel uncomfortable when you are suddenly forced to stop doing it," the 66-year-old said.

"During that period, every time I went out, I stopped by the gym to check if it had reopened. It's not only a place for me to keep fit, but also somewhere to chat and exchange ideas with my peers. It's a lot of fun."

When the gym reopened in July, Xu immediately resumed his training schedule.

"However, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, all gym users were required to wear masks while exercising. That made me short of breath," he said.

So, after an hour's training in the gym, he often left and jogged on the street for another hour.

"My craving for exercise was finally satisfied that way," he said.