A new shared economy venture wants to revolutionize how people exercise by offering its clients the use of exercise equipment on a per-use basis.
A number of kiosks equipped with "share treadmills" have appeared throughout Beijing over the past month, charging customers only for the time spent using its facilities.
At a rate of 0.20 yuan per minute, customers are charged 1 yuan per five minutes, or 5 yuan for 25 minutes.
The kiosk is equipped with climate control and an Internet-enabled touchscreen to allow users to browse the Web and chat online as they exercise. The facilities also feature climate control, air purification, and blinds that close for privacy.
Users can schedule a time, enter the kiosk and pay for services using an app. Similar to share bikes, users can locate and find which exercise kiosks are available in their neighborhood using their phones.
Taking up less than five square meters of space, the personal exercise kiosk is designed to host one person comfortably. No shower or change facilities are offered because the personal exercise kiosk is designed to be located just five minutes from users' homes.
And if there isn't one located near you at the present, just hold on: Mipao (觅跑, or "Misspao" according to its website) representatives boast that the company has secured tens of millions of yuan in Chinese financing over two rounds of funding.
READ: Has China's Sharing Economy Finally Jumped the Shark?
Company CEO Bi Zhen claims there is a lot of room to grow in this industry, claiming that although 95 percent of the population have a need to exercise, only 10 percent have memberships to fitness clubs. Meanwhile, clients may be encouraged to exercise indoors due to less than optimal atmospheric conditions like rain and air pollution.
The shared economy has been exploding in China as companies offer everything from bicycles to basketballs to battery chargers on a per-use basis. But with ventures involving shared beds and umbrellas failing, we can see some trouble ahead for exercise equipment-shares.
An unstaffed facility will have trouble keeping the place secure, meaning that the 24-hour availability of these exercise kiosks may not be as convenient as first thought. In addition, an exercise room will attract a lot of sweat, especially after heavy use, making maintaining their cleanliness a top priority.
READ: Between Two Pillows: Bed-Sharing Market Comes to Beijing
As the leading cashless society in China, Beijing residents can now use their phones to make purchases at staffless convenience stores or at the new Hema Store in east-end Shilipu. Things have advanced so fast that phones can even be used to pay fares on the Beijing Metro, although using Alipay to give wedding gifts is still frowned upon.
Staying healthy through exercise is certainly a priority, but we imagine that the chance to get a moment to yourself in this crowded city is one that residents would gladly pay for.
And it's safer than some would-be health freaks' DIY alternatives: Last week Tuesday, a bored store employee at a Dongguan shopping mall got her finger trapped when using the escalator as an impromptu exercise machine.
More stories from this author here.
Twitter: @Sinopath
E-mail: charlesliu1@qq.com