To fully understand, you need to know President Xi’s vision: “National fitness is the foundation and guarantee of the people’s physical health and healthy lifestyle.”
The Plan comes at the right time, after decades of building capacity.. a mammoth task at a scale which only China knows:
-> 3 Million ball courts
-> 1.1 Million outdoor fitness stations at the end of 2024
-> 39% of people aged 7+ exercise regularly, up 1.3 points in five years (National Bureau of Statistics, 2026).
Logically, to fully leverage the above, there need to be qualified coaches and programming that keeps the public coming back.
Policy now leans the same way. The 2026-2030 national fitness plan targets:
-> 40% regular participation
-> 4 square meters of sports space per capita
-> AI-enabled instruction (State Council, July 2026).
So, I see a lot of capital flowing to the service layer (rather than in the floor space).
The operators who win next can probably sell elite-grade coaching and testing at Tier 2 city prices: exactly the combination the new national plan is now prioritising.
Follow Seveno Capital for the signal on where Asia's fitness economy meets capital.
Image: Bird's Nest, Beijing (Iwan Baan)
