Granny, 70, lifts weights to online success (2)

Chen Jifang becomes a star on the social networking platform Douyin. Her account has garnered more than 400,000 followers within a few months for her fitness-training videos. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In 2018, following a physical examination, Chen was diagnosed with a slew of issues such as a fatty liver, hyperlipidemia and degeneration of the knees. The doctor suggested that she exercise more to stem the further decline of her already poor health.

An overweight Chen started with light jogging, but a fitness coach later advised her to improve her physique and rehabilitate her knee before running. Because of this, Chen entered a gym for the first time on Dec 29, 2018.

"Everyone in the gym was young. They were giving me weird looks," recalls Chen, who made it a point to walk 3.5 kilometers to the gym every day.

Her daily training started at 8 am with 50 pushups, mountain-climbing workouts, running and weightlifting. After a short break at 9 am, Chen continued working out until 3 pm. She hit the gym every day in 2019.

A radical change in her diet was also needed. This meant giving up her favorite foods like barbecued meats, cream cakes and spicy hotpot.

When her health and fitness improved, Chen embarked on high-intensity training sessions and tackled the more challenging workouts like kettlebell swings, battle ropes and deadlifts. Three months later, she lost a whopping 28 kilograms. Her body-mass index also returned to normal.

While most people would be concerned about having an elderly family member perform such strenuous workouts in the gym, Chen has the full support of her family.

Her husband shows his support by doing most of the household chores. Her daughter, on the other hand, helps to pick her gym attire.

Chen may be a star in her own right, but she is also just one of many elderly citizens in China's major cities who are embracing exercise.