Macau fitness industry growing, entrepreneurs say

CrossFit

As more Macau residents shift to a healthier lifestyle, specialized fitness studios are increasingly popping up to cater to specific types of exercise.
Although traditional gyms with treadmills and weights are still widely used in the region, some residents opt to train in specialized gyms where trainers coach exercise classes such as CrossFit, spinning and trampoline.
These independent studios tend to set their memberships at a higher price point compared to traditional gyms.
The new fitness trend offers membership that allows access to the studios’ community and healthy living experts.
The Times visited a CrossFit box where loud music was pumping and the coaches and members were engaged in high-energy activities .
Clients can attend CrossFit classes just by booking through online app Wodify. The app also allows clients to input their nutrition intake for the coach’s supervision.
Despite a clear increase in the number of residents who are keen on a healthy lifestyle, head coach and co-owner of Crossfit XVI and Crossfit Cotai, Antonio Barrias told the Times that the local fitness industry still lacks ‘knowledge and quality.’
Barrias said that despite the massive growth in the range of fitness styles on the market, most residents are still trying to find a niche in the industry.
Echoing the same sentiments, Norika Chiu, managing director of Macao Fitness, also told the Times that the industry is growing, as there is a demand for the Macau residents to “look healthy.”
Although Macao Fitness is closer to the ‘traditional’ gym setting, Chiu mentioned that the firm has added specialized classes such as spinning and body designing workouts, as residents are keener on specific classes.
Barrias noted that there are still differences between local and Western clients, revealing that Asians tend to be frightened of weights.
According to him, residents are also becoming more health-conscious, which has resulted in several stores that offer healthy food alternatives. He described the expansion of the health-conscious consumer market as a “huge step in the right direction.”
He also noted that clients nowadays search for quality training rather than just cardio exercises.
“The more the fitness industry grows in Macau, the more educated people will become [in terms of healthy food intake] and I think the market will self-regulate its quality. And that’s the only way we can make sure we can grow in the right path,” Barrias said.
A recent South China Morning Post report stated that Macau’s fitness scene is “catching up with the West and Hong Kong.”
“Macau has a lot of transient residents, and with the weather being so hot in the summer, the demands and popularity [of] training does change over the year,” Corinne Mackay, Inception Health and Fitness founder and trainer, told the Hong Kong newspaper.
Chiu takes a similar stance, emphasizing the variety of classes offered at Macao Fitness, which align with the changing needs of individual fitness regimes.