Night workouts help busy urbanites let off steam

Young white-collar workers are exercising at unsociable hours as relief from long working days and unsatisfactory social lives. Zou Shuo reports.

Fitness experts often advise against working out close to bedtime because of the belief that late-night exercise can hinder people's ability to nod off and may also result in poor-quality sleep.

However, as the grueling work schedule commonly referred to as 996 - 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week - becomes more prevalent in Chinese companies, energetic night owls and fitness fanatics have found respite by working out at 24-hour gyms.