A K-Power Sports employee tries out the company's fitness equipment. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

Tong'an district, Xiamen city in Southeast China's Fujian province is the largest fitness equipment manufacturing and export base in Asia. From product research and design to manufacturing, marketing and after-sales services, nearly 90 percent of production materials and components can be found within a half-hour drive. 

Treadmills, rowing machines, and stationary bikes with the "Made in Xiamen" label are exported from here to over 100 countries and regions worldwide.

In the first quarter of 2024, exports of fitness equipment in Tong'an district saw a stable increase. Over the past 20 years, Xiamen has cultivated a fitness equipment industry with an annual output value of 52.8 billion yuan ($7.3 billion).

As fitness is promoted across the country, the fitness equipment industry has of late been embracing smart technology.

Some seemingly simple pieces of fitness equipment involve intensive research and development, obtaining patents for their appearance, materials, and usage. Others focus on refining specific categories, such as aerobics, strength, and yoga. Some concentrate on effectively extending into the broader health industry. These efforts are all aimed at meeting the increasingly diverse needs of users.

In the future, the direction of innovation in the fitness equipment industry will focus on promoting "active health" and enhancing the exercise experience of the public, while accelerating efforts to improve "intelligent enjoyment" and "intelligent fun".