Recently, 24-hour gyms have become a new favorite overnight spot for young people in China. With just a 200 yuan monthly card, which can be used nationwide, anyone can access these gyms. In addition, some office workers even consider the gym as a place to nap during their lunch break.
According to a report from the “Sanlian Life Experimental Lab” under the “Sanlian Life Weekly,” in the past, young people in China would often stay overnight at internet cafes or bathhouses to save money when going out. While internet cafes are cheap, the noise from gaming makes it difficult to fall asleep; bathhouses may seem comfortable, but if you can’t get a private room, you’ll end up sleeping in a communal area.
However, at the gym, there’s no need to fight for a bed. Some young people have mentioned feeling an unprecedented sense of security when they sleep in the gym, saying that sleeping in the gym feels even better than sleeping at home.
It was reported that initially, office workers who squeezed in time to exercise at noon were the ones who discovered the gym as a good place to nap. They chose yoga and meditation classes, and most of them fell asleep following the meditation music. Gradually, the gym became filled with young people who didn’t want to work out but just wanted to rest. Moreover, with a 200 yuan monthly card, they no longer have to worry about accommodations when visiting other cities. The gym is chain-operated nationwide, and one card can be used all over the country, even allowing access to shower facilities at night.
He Liu Liu, a “Beijing drift” working at a startup company, recently obtained a monthly card for the “Poor Ghost Chain Gym” located above her company, where she only sleeps and doesn’t exercise. She mentioned that she got the card just for taking a solid nap at the gym during lunch break, saying it’s better than getting a hotel room by the hour. With heated floors and blankets available during winter, the quality of sleep is even better. After 10 pm when people leave, the entire gym turns into a luxurious suite where one can sleep or work out as desired.
35-year-old Beijing state-owned enterprise salesperson Bo Bo initially got a gym membership at a five-star hotel across from his company, planning to exercise properly. However, after a month, he felt exhausted. Eventually, he started using the gym solely for soaking in the hot tub and sauna. He mentioned that going to the sauna requires showering and changing clothes, while in the gym’s rest area, he can just lie down and nap, with not many people around during the lunch break, making it a perfect time to rest for an hour.
When Xixi, a “post-90s” Beijing drift worker, first arrived in Beijing for an interview, he also considered staying overnight at a 24-hour chain gym using the monthly card he got back in his hometown to save on accommodation expenses. However, he later found out that the gym had managers patrolling at night, and it was explicitly stated that overnight stays were not allowed. Therefore, he could only do some aerobic exercises at night and take a short nap. He noted, “Treating the gym as an hourly room is fine, but never treat it like a luxury hotel.”