Chongqing- With a 7.1% penetration rate and 40 billion yuan (about 6 billion U.S. dollars) worth of market size, new data shows that China ranks second in the world for static sports. 

Pilates is one of the classic static sports focusing on mind-body exercise. Originating in Germany, it flourished in the United States. With only 100 years of history, it calls for an original training system so that more orthodox exercise concepts could be imported to China. 

"Pilates has traditionally given the impression of the niche exercise," said Dong Shixi, manager of Light Pilates, a professional studio of Pilates in one of the commercial areas of Chongqing Municipality, Southwestern China. 

"We want to promote the sports to a larger crowd, bringing healthy concepts back to the daily lives," he said. 

Pilates industry

Light Pilates is a studio operated by a Chongqing couple who lived in Shanghai for a couple of years and encountered Pilates by chance. After the market research, they decided to return to Chongqing to open the studio due to the shortage of professional fitness places. 

Speaking of the Pilates industries in Shanghai and Chongqing, Zheng said that Shanghai is one of the cities with the highest cultural tolerance in the country on historical grounds, offering more development spaces for niche sports. "It is like New York and is also the first place where Pilates entered China," she said. 

Besides, public awareness of sports signals domestic and foreign differences. "Many people still confused Pilates with Yoga. They don't quite know how Pilates can benefit them," she said. "And currently, the whole domestic fitness industry is focusing more on attracting people's attention, not really for physical health."

The lack of professional trainers is another crucial aspect of Chongqing's frailties. "We need more professional trainers with international certification to expand Chongqing's Pilates industry," she added. "More skilled professionals should be cultivated who are responsible for popularizing and promoting the sports' correct concepts, as only by increasing the participation by all people can help the fitness industry."

New consumption symbol 

Among all user groups of the studio, young people occupy the majority, said Dong. Characterized by slow movement and low intensity, Pilates has become the popular choice for the young demographic as they can relieve the stress in fast-paced work and life. 

Manager Dong saw the fresh sports trends among the young group in two ways, diversification and socialization. 

"Today's young people like to try a variety of sports," he said. "They will classify sports and meet their different needs through distinctive exercise."

Moreover, every sport has its social attribute, which is reflected prevalently nowadays. "Once I love a sport, I will be involved in its sports circle," he said. "This circle allows a group of people who love the same sport to gather to explore and enjoy it, especially those who are interested in running, skiing, and diving."

Dong believed that niche sports like Pilates would also follow this trend to call their fans together, and it will also be added to the business ideas in the future to transmit to their customers. 

Dong also noted that playing sports has not become one of everyone's daily consumption in China compared with other consumption scenarios of leisure and entertainment. "This is the gap between China and foreign countries," he said. 

Especially under the COVID-19 pandemic, independent exercise and sport have become critical necessities for everyday people. With more exercise-oriented consumption scenarios available nowadays, diverse sports options are becoming more popular.