For young Chinese urbanites, going to the gym is probably the most “city” activity of them all. Yet every aspect of “going to the gym” has a price tag attached — from the Lululemon outfit, to the pre-workout protein shake, topped off with a barely satisfying salad with chicken breast. Not to mention the gym membership, group workout classes, and the personal training sessions that your trainer convinced you will make your biceps look that much better.

Of course, all of this is just working out, and young people in China living the “fancy poor” (精致穷, jīngzhì qióng) lifestyle are ditching corporate gyms and turning towards local community gyms, which can cost only 1 RMB per visit. Forget the Hoka shoes, a pair of Feiyue with some dumbbells will do.

According to Xin Zhoukan, local community gyms first emerged in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, and have recently expanded all around the country. These gyms, built by neighborhood communities, typically cost less than 3 RMB per visit, and some are even free.

Not only are these gyms economical, but they are also well-stocked with equipment, from treadmills to rowing ergs. According to netizens on Xiaohongshu, some gyms offers space rentals for activities such as ping pong, badminton, and swimming.

Whereas corporate gyms are full of muscular physiques and fancy accessories, these local gyms are arenas for neighborhood “aunties” and “uncles” to shine. Netizens are constantly impressed by the energy and physicality of older gym-goers, who squat with metal plates, then follow things up with a series of pull-ups. Some even say that witnessing the athleticism of uncles in plain white tank tops dominating their neighborhood gyms has cured their anxiety about getting older.

For young people who are “broke but bougie” (没福硬享受, méi fú yìng xiǎngshòu), neighborhood gyms and their low prices provide an alternative to corporate gyms that still allows them to enjoy the gym lifestyle. After all, going to the gym is about maintaining healthy and active habits, and these should be made accessible and convenient for all, from young office workers in Arc’teryx jackets, to older uncles doing humanly impossible calisthenics.

Banner image via Xingfu Futian.