全民健身时代 你参与锻炼了吗?

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每天清晨，北京的一些中老年人就会聚集在公园里锻炼身体，从太极到彩带舞，全面健身正在日益兴起。

老百姓不分年幼，大家都喜欢以不同的方式来强身健体。在城市里，健身馆更是成为上班族的挚爱，已经逐渐成为一种时尚。

Every morning in parks across the city, Beijing's more senior citizens congregate for their daily exercise, from tai chi to ribbon-dancing to good old clapping.

One healthy person is not enough. Everybody should be, says this 72-year old man who leads the routines.

There is even special low-impact equipment, courtesy of a health campaign by the Chinese government.

This suits us old people well. And it's very traditional.

But this outdoor tradition may be lost on the next generation.

In the last few years, an indoor fitness fad has exploded in China with the proliferation of fancy gyms offering equipment of all shapes, speeds and sizes, and classes, from power-stepping to belly-dancing and of course, spinning.

It's fashionable, dynamic and people here are mostly white-collar workers so we can relate to each other, she says.

Big gym chains like Bally's already popular in the West are now catering to China's growing class of young urban professionals who can afford memberships up to $1,500 a year.

Just a decade ago there were very few gyms in China with the exception of international hotels. Now there are almost 450 in Beijing alone, nearly 2,800 across China with 3.4 million members.

People come here because it's professional. We have good trainers and facilities, says Bally's manager.

But for some it's a harder sell.

This is free. We are seventy something. Why spend money? When you can stay healthy enough just by spending time, the old-fashioned way.

Emily Chan, cnn, Beijing.