Purified air gyms with oxygen on tap to boost your workout catch on in polluted Beijing
Suck in a mouthful of oxygen from a nozzle beside the machine you’re working out on, and push yourself harder – that’s the unique proposition from Beijing’s Oxygyms, but what does the science say?
With oxygen-emitting bars flanking treadmills and other gym equipment, Oxygym is a new-concept fitness centre that is fast gaining in popularity in Beijing.
Outfitted with air purification systems, Oxygym has made a business opportunity out of the notorious air pollution problem in the Chinese capital. Founded in 2010, the chain now has five outlets in Beijing.
Its founder Vincent Li, a former fitness trainer, says in the past his running routines were often affected by the bad air in the city. “I love exercise. In university, I did morning runs every day, wearing a mask. The mask was black after my run. People didn’t know it was smog then. They just knew it was bad for health.
“I wanted to set up a gym that is different from other gyms. We found out [having clean] air can prompt customers to join.
“Our concept is to turn the gym into a forest. The equipment extends to the outdoors and separates the oxygen from the outside air and pumps it indoors. We aim to boost users’ performance and comfort level by [creating a clean air environment and] increasing the oxygen level. No one in China or overseas has done this before, so we applied for over 30 patents.”