Tiny one-person gym pods debut in China

Making time to go to the gym can be easier said than done—especially when your couch is so comfortable.

But if getting to the gym is your problem, perhaps having access to tiny gyms all over the city would convince you to pop in and take a quick run on the treadmill. At the very least, it’s a theory one Chinese company is willing to test out.

Gym pods are headed to China’s capital city of Beijing, which will make working out on the go so much easier.

These 43-square-foot boxes house a treadmill, TV and come with air conditioning—so, yes, they’re small, but they’ve got all you need to complete a quick exercise.

There are tons of benefits to making fitness easily accessible, but this little box is not without its faults.

First off, you have to download an app and pay $15 to enter the box. Then, once you’re inside and running on the treadmill, the cost is three cents a minute.

That’s not exactly cheap, depending on how often you plan on using these boxes and how long your workouts take. For some, it may be financially wiser to just keep the traditional gym membership.

Another concern is the small space. These claim to have air conditioning, but how cool can it actually stay when you’re doing cardio in a tiny box?

And it probably goes without saying that these gym pods aren’t a good option for those with claustrophobia.

Apparently, people also have an issue with the lack of shower space. There’s no place to shower off after a run in this mini-gym, so you’d have to swing by before heading home for the day rather than going for a run during your workday.

Lastly, another thing I can’t help wondering about is how these are going to stay clean. With tons of sweaty people coming in and out of this box all day, cleanliness could definitely become an issue. I’m hoping the company provides cleaning services to the pods on the regular.

So far, only five boxes have been installed, but 1,000 more are slated to be installed on the city’s streets in the near future.

Who knows if these personal gym pods will catch on worldwide, but despite the potential issues, these futuristic “microgyms” sound intriguing. I’d love to give them a try.