Li Ziyao, 28, takes up a CrossFit program at a gym in Hangzhou. CHINA DAILY

Chinese women are boosting their self-esteem and finding a new calling in life by taking part in rigorous workouts.

Many of those now leading more active lives have drawn inspiration from Du Leying, the protagonist in the blockbuster Spring Festival movie YOLO (You Only Live Once).

Many audience members burst into tears as they watch Du, who is overweight, struggle through life before bettering herself by taking up boxing.

Li Ziyao, whose own life has improved significantly through exercise, said, "I guess many people, especially young women, have experienced desperate situations in life, which they feel really strongly about."

The 28-year-old, who works in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, now exudes athletic confidence as she goes through her daily exercise routine.

"This is a far cry from my old obese and bashful image," she said, adding, "I actually fled to Hangzhou in 2021 to avoid my family."

Li, who comes from Shaanxi province, used to binge-eat snacks, which she considered the only way to deal with the frustrations in life.

This unhealthy lifestyle continued for about six years, during which her weight peaked at more than 75 kilograms, which is high for the average Chinese woman.

"My relatives noticed that I had gained weight every time they saw me. It was hard to find clothes that fit me, and I was afraid of meeting my friends, who I hadn't seen for three months, as I feared they would tease me about my weight," Li said.

These negative feelings again resulted in her binge eating. "It was a vicious circle, which plunged me into an abyss of shame," she added.

The turning point came when Li saw that her former boyfriend had got married, and her parents feared that she would remain single if she continued her unhealthy lifestyle.

"But when you hit rock bottom, you start to rebound," Li said.

She left for Hangzhou in an attempt to make a clean break from the past, forcing herself to adopt a four-hour workout regime each day.

Li, who learned moves for the workout from vloggers, carried a small set of food scales with her to weigh her daily intake. In four months, she lost more than 20 kg, and found work at an e-commerce company in the city.

This positive change quickly won support from her mother, who for the first time praised Li's efforts and voiced sympathy for the suffering she had experienced.

As her fitness levels increase, Li is challenging herself by taking up swimming, snowboarding and CrossFit, a fitness program that produces tangible benefits through lifestyle changes centered on nutrition and training.

As she continues to discover her potential, she said: "I have broadened my horizons and now have this constant desire to try new things. If I have learned anything from my experience, it is that you have to love yourself first before loving someone else, and take control of your own life."

Left breathless

Like Li, Sun Pengying, who is in her early 40s and comes from Hangzhou, has forged a new life for herself through exercise, and now boasts tanned skin and toned muscles.

She was a full-time mother before she started a workout routine in 2019. After giving birth to her son, Sun's weight rose significantly, peaking at 95 kg.

"I was out of breath after climbing just a few flights of stairs, and my weight really gave me trouble in taking care of my family," Sun said.

"I then realized that my health was hanging by a thread and that I needed to lose weight immediately."

After taking a 5-kilometer walk each day for a month, Sun joined a gym near her home run by the Hilefit chain, where she tried a range of activities, including dancing, lifting barbells, and boxing.

"It was really hard initially, as I had to stop after 10 minutes or so during a class, which usually lasted for 50 minutes," she said.

But she persevered — weaning herself off snacks and going on a diet. In a short time, she lost 7 percent of body fat and more than 10 kg in weight, while also building up her strength.

"Those changes gave me the motivation to carry on," Sun said, adding that she became particularly fond of boxing. The friends she made during boxing classes inspired her to lift weights to build her muscles.

After more than a year's training, Sun became a Body Combat coach at Hilefit in July 2020. Body Combat is a high-energy workout inspired by martial arts.

"It was hard to imagine that I could become a coach, considering how lazy and sedentary I was before," Sun said, adding that exercise has also made her more outgoing and optimistic.

She is now in good shape, weighing 60 kg, with 18 percent body fat and 27 percent muscle mass.

Many of those Sun coaches, who have followed her from the start, have been amazed by the changes she has made to her life, and have started to take up strenuous training sessions themselves.

Sun also hosts livestream broadcasts on Tuesday nights in which she gives fitness instructions.

She said she is delighted to have found a new path in life and to be involved with the fitness program.

"Being a full-time mom didn't give me such high self-esteem. I hope to continue with a high level of exercise for as long as possible and to make more people aware that exercising can be fun," Sun added.

Firm presence

Women are now willing to pay more for fitness programs to keep in shape.

The 2022 China Fitness Industry Data Report compiled by Shanghai University of Sport's economics and management school said women accounted for 62 percent of those buying fitness programs.

Liu Xu, who is in charge of user management at Hilefit, said women clients surpassed their male counterparts by accounting for 57 percent of paid tuition during Spring Festival.

In general, female fitness enthusiasts are more proactive than males in seeking private coaching, especially for weight loss and body shaping, Liu said.

"Investing in themselves, diverse needs, and pursuing strength have become new trends in female fitness," he added.

Liu said that on average, female fitness fans exercise 25 percent more than their male counterparts.

Demand for muscle building, mixed martial arts, and postpartum recovery has grown noticeably at Hilefit.

Younger female fitness enthusiasts are more conscientious about exercising than those who are older.

Liu said women born after 1995 account for nearly 50 percent of the paid courses offered by Hilefit.

"Our female clients aged 16 to 20 use a body analyzer every five days on average to comprehensively assess various indicators of their bodies. Parameters such as body fat percentage, body water content, basal metabolic rate, and waist-to-hip ratio are their major focus," Liu added.

Kong Meiying (left) gives professional training advice to a client at her gym in Tianjin. CHINA DAILY

Similar problems

About three years ago, Kong Meiying launched a career and became her own boss by opening a gym exclusively for female clients.

The 34-year-old, who comes from Tianjin, started as a private coach at local gyms, where 90 percent of her clients were women.

She soon found that many of them experienced similar problems with workouts.

"Even after they acquired strength training and fitness skills, they went to the treadmill first every time they came to exercise, but they never walked into the strength training area alone until I went with them," Kong said.

Many clients told her the weight training area was a man's world, and they felt self-conscious being there alone.

"If I hadn't come with them, they might as well have stayed on the treadmill for ever," Kong said, adding that she wanted to give strength back to women.

In 2021, she opened the first women-only gym in Tianjin, where she arranged everything based on the special needs and preferences of female fitness enthusiasts.

For example, climbing and rowing machines, which are more suitable for women's hip and leg training, are set up in prominent areas.

For common workout classes such as boxing, Kong asks her coaches to tailor them specifically for women, as the training methods and progress made by men and women can vary.

Translucent white curtains hung next to the Pilates room give privacy to clients performing a range of body movements.

"I like to avoid my clients being disturbed when they practice Pilates," Kong said.

Plants placed throughout the gym emit a faint scent, endearing the business to female coaches and students.

Previous female clients have helped Kong. Some have invested in her business, while others have introduced new clients to her.

The personal service and good reviews from clients have made Kong's gym popular among local female fitness fanatics.

She not only survived tough times during the COVID-19 pandemic, but last year also opened a second gym, which is about 30 km from the first.

Explaining why she opened the second business, Kong said, "Many of my clients traveled a long way to my first gym, and I want to make life more convenient for them as best I can."

She added that she is just an ordinary woman who loves what she is doing and is not in it for the money.

Kong now has more than 1,300 clients committed to both gyms.

"They contribute to maintaining a pleasant fitness environment and have given me feedback for improvements," she said, adding that she is now seeking a site for a third gym.

"Many young women have contacted me on the Xiaohongshu social media platform, asking when I can open a new business near their homes," Kong said, adding, "As long as I don't suffer a loss, I will try my best to satisfy their needs."

She said her clients have become more aware of the need to keep fit.

"Most of them now know clearly what they want before they come to my gym. They also pay great attention to the quality of the equipment and services," Kong said.

Scientific methods

With a rising desire among women to lose weight, an expert said scientific methods should be applied.

Chen Zongtao, a doctor in the health management department at Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University in Chongqing, said it is important for people to determine if they need to lose weight before doing so.

In medicine, obesity is generally measured using the body mass index (a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters). If the BMI exceeds 24, the person is considered overweight, and if it exceeds 28, this is considered obesity, Chen said.

It is also important to consider whether there are obesity-related conditions such as a high blood sugar level, high blood pressure, or fatty liver, whose presence means it is even more important to lose weight, he said.

Chen added that it is vital to adopt an approach of gradual progression during exercises, and if any discomfort is experienced, the person should stop and rest immediately.