China’s newest fad: workout pods in the middle of the street

It started in China with shared bikes. Then came umbrellas anyone can borrow just by scanning a code with their phone. Then it was karaoke booths in malls. And now here we are with shared gym pods in the middle of the street.

Photo credit: CRI.

A Chinese startup is now rolling out its “public gyms” in the capital, Beijing, just two months after the business was established. It’s aiming to have 1,000 of them across the city by the end of the year.

Photo credit: CRI.

Misspao has already secured two rounds of undisclosed funding, reports Yicai today, with Matrix Partners among the investors. The young business is purported to be worth US$15 million already.

Its gym pods, no bigger than a generous toilet cubicle, contain a treadmill, screen, air-con, an air purifier, and a few other small fitness accessories.

Photo credit: CRI.

So if you want an intense workout with weights and all those other hellish contraptions gyms actually have, then you’ll have to sign up for a proper, pricey gym.

You find a workout pod in the same way you get an Uber – with a dedicated app. Then you scan a QR code to activate that pod.

Photo credit: Misspao.

Users of Misspao’s public gyms pay for their time in the way pretty much everything is paid for these days in China: using Alipay or WeChat to scan a code.