The Gym Pod at Admiralty Park in Singapore.
Photographer: Lauryn Ishak/BloombergCrowded Singapore Makes Room for Microgyms
In search of a private space to exercise, fitness enthusiasts in the Asian city-state are flocking to miniature, air-conditioned gyms — a model that’s spreading to the US.
All over Singapore, bright yellow containers have started popping up in unassuming places — at the airport, in a park and in front of a shopping mall. Inside them, people are breaking a sweat.
That’s because each container houses a so-called microgym with a treadmill, weights and other equipment for a private workout that avoids the crowds at traditional gyms, and Singapore’s year-round heat and humidity. Users book sessions via an app run by The Gym Pod, a local company that has expanded to more than 50 locations. Another startup, My Gym Lab, offers 10 Singapore microgyms.