New gym trend: Running with laptop, lifting weights using lunch boxes

Many busy office workers in China are incorporating exercise into their workday by jogging with their laptops, lugging lunch boxes, and doing yoga and pilates in their office chairs.

These “five-minute speed workouts” are becoming increasingly popular across China and are enthusiastically embraced by young people.

In early July, a social media user posted a photo of his colleague doing speed training while waiting for the elevator on the Xiaohongshu platform, captioning it: "Office workers have their own gym."

In the photo, the woman holds a lunch bag in one hand and a canvas bag in the other. She uses the bag as a weight and lifts it repeatedly while waiting. She also wears several bags around her waist to add weight to her workout.

Her colleagues call her a genius and say: “She always volunteers to bring lunch to everyone downstairs, each move is like a weight training session. Since she has to sit in the office all day and doesn't have time to go to the gym, she can do a quick workout while bringing food home or waiting for the elevator, thus saving on gym fees."

Another post tells the story of a company intern who brought a yoga mat to work to exercise. She had an iPad displaying an image of the God of Wealth in front of the mat, thereby incorporating worship into her yoga practice. Her actions sparked heated discussions online."This is genius, multitasking at its best. Worshiping, exercising and being a little lazy at work all at the same time," one person joked.

Other short workouts shared on social media include pilates exercises while sitting in an office chair, badminton racket swings and water bucket lifts.

Chang, a content creator based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, shared her fitness routine with Jiupai News, saying she often jogs to the subway station while carrying her laptop. “My laptop is a bit heavy, so it feels like I’m lifting weights,” she said.

Chang adopted this speed workout method because she didn’t like the hassle of going to the gym: “I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to stick with it and that I was wasting money. The quick 5-minute workout is more manageable for office workers who often work overtime and don’t have much free time. Plus, it keeps me energized while I work when I’m tired.”

She also said that exercising in this way is beneficial for mental health because it helps "release some negative emotions" throughout the day.

Many other young people shared their quick office workout routines on social media and gradually created a trend.

“Yes, my exercise is to pick up the goods for my boss. When the work gets tough, I think of it as an arm workout,” said one. Another revealed her daily sprint to work: “I run 800m in three minutes every day to be on time. Lately, it’s been easy for me.”