Baduanjin became popular after German fitness influencer Pamela Reif posted a video.
In today's fast-paced lifestyle, it is very important to find peace and balance to maintain your mental health. In China, youngsters are resorting to an 800-year-old exercise to achieve that, and counter burn-out. According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the exercise named baduanjin is usually practiced by the elderly. But online videos showing the exercise routine has amassed 182 million views on Bilibili, a Youtube-like platform popular among the young in China, the outlet further said in the report.
Baduanjin dates back to China's Song dynasty (960-1279) and stands as one of China's oldest health and fitness routines, as per SCMP. English translation of the Mandarin word means "eight-section brocade", or eight styles within the exercise routine that include slow and flowing movement.
It involves combining breathing exercises, meditation and gentle body stretches that regulates the body's energy, or chi, and blood flow.
In many Chinese cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, people work for almost 49 hours every week, which is the leading cause of burnout among youths, as per the SCMP report. So, people here are constantly looking for ways to lower their stress levels.
In August last year, German fitness influencer Pamela Reif posted a video of herself doing baduanjin, which received more than a million views.
"What? Pamela is doing baduanjin?" became a trending topic on social media.
"For those suffering from neck pain, the effects are truly remarkable. Plus, my sleep quality has notably improved, and I often wake up refreshed," one user commented on social media, SCMP said in its report.
Apart from this, Chinese herbal medicinal milk tea is also gaining popularity on the country's another leading social media platform, Xiaohongshu.