Gyms in China livestream routines as coronavirus keeps patrons away

Liu Xiaojin adjusts a phone during trainer Wang Kai's livestreamed gym class, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing, China. — Reuters

SHANGHAI/BEIJING: "Stand in front of a chair. Chest up, core tight and square your pelvis," said Heidi Liu, a pilates instructor at a studio in Shanghai, as she demonstrated a series of poses and stretches.

But there were no students in the classroom at the Pilates ProWorks studio located in the middle of a central district in Shanghai. Instead, Liu was livestreaming using an iPad, broadcasting to hundreds of people working out with her at home.