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View all search resultsHyrox craze spurs fitness boom as old-school gyms struggle
Industry players have stated that people are moving away from traditional gyms in search of professional coaching, structured programming and a sense of community.
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Beefing up: Participants compete in the “sled pull“ event on April 18 during the Hyrox fitness race at the Grand Palais venue in Paris. (AFP/Julien De Rosa)
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outheast Asia’s fitness industry has historically lagged behind, with gym penetration stuck below 1 percent, except in more developed markets like Singapore and Malaysia, research from the venture capital arm of local lender PT Bank OCBC NISP shows. But a new triathlon-style competition is shaking things up, injecting fresh energy and sweat into the region’s workout scene.
Saeka Minami, a 28-year-old assistant brand manager at a local firm, began her daily fitness routine during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been expanding it ever since.
What started as casual YouTube workouts has since evolved into a full-fledged fitness lifestyle, one that now includes high-intensity interval training (HIIT), functional training, yoga and Pilates.
“We Gen-Zs have short attention spans, but we’ve been exposed to so many kinds of sports through social media,” Saeka told The Jakarta Post on Friday. “It makes us curious to try different things.”
Her current goal: To compete in a Hyrox race in Seoul, South Korea, this November, after finishing one in Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this year.
In Hyrox, competitors work in pairs or solo to complete functional exercises, like wall balls, sled pushes and rowing, interspersed with eight 1-kilometer runs.
Last year alone, over 650,000 participants competed in Hyrox events worldwide, making it one of the fastest-growing fitness competitions globally. It has even attracted pro athletes, including former Indonesian footballer Irfan Bachdim, who raced in Hong Kong last year.
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