Trying to stand out from millions of videos on the social networking platformDouyincan often be difficult, but a relatively new account (帐号), which has only been active since last year, has managed to do so easily.
The star behind this account is not a young woman with a slim figure, but a 70-year-old woman. Within just a few months Chen Jifang has attracted over 400, 000 followers with her energetic workouts (锻炼). She was once even featured on a reality show on CCTV.
"The main group that I wanted to encourage was people aging 30 to 50," says Chen. "I think they will be encouraged to work out after seeing that a granny like me can. It is never too late to pursue (追求)good health."
Chen's passion for exercising was born out of a need instead of desire to become famous. Her health had been poor since she was a child. In 2018, she was diagnosed with a lot of problems such as a fatty liver and hyperlipidemia (高血脂). The doctor suggested that she exercise more to stop the further decline of her already poor health.
Overweight Chen started with light jogging, but a fitness coach persuaded her to enter a gym on Dec 29, 2018. "Everyone in the gym was young. They were giving me curious looks," recalls Chen, who walks 3.5 kilometers to the gym every day.
Her daily training started at 8 am with 50 pushups (俯卧撑)and running. After a short break at 9 am, Chen continued working out until 3 pm. Shehitthe gym every day in 2019. She also gave up her favorite foods like barbecued meats and spicy hotpot.
When her health improved, Chen did more challenging workouts like weightlifting. Three months later, she lost 28 kilograms. Her health index also returned to normal.
"We cannot stop aging, but exercise can slow it down," she says. "Instead of spending money on medicine, it is better to spend money on fitness."
