Karaoke, or KTV as it is known in China, is no longer just about singing your heart out. Young urbanites are increasingly turning KTV parlors into affordable calorie-burning fitness floors, mixing high-energy songs with dance routines and aerobics in a “sing and sweat” craze.

In recet months, the practice has gained traction on lifestyle platforms like Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, where users share playlists, calorie counts, and dance moves to accompany each song. 

Short videos of users dramatically performing pop ballads or rock anthems in KTV rooms have gone viral, inspiring others to try the trend. Some claim that a four-hour session can burn up nearly 1,400 calories, helping participants lose a little weight between choruses.

Popular playlist choices include fast-paced or high-pitched songs such as the 2009 hits “The Most Dazzling Folk Style” by the Chinese group Phoenix Legend and “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga. 

Participants often book off-peak hours, such as weekday mornings or midnights, when rooms are discounted. And some KTV chains are embracing the movement, offering themed workout playlists, calorie-counting challenges, and service packages.

Singing engages the vocal cords, lungs, and muscles in the upper neck and chest, Zhang Yanliang, head of the Weight Management Center at Nanjing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, told local media, adding that when combined with movement, it can help burn calories. He qualified, however, that caloric output is approximately one-third to one-half of what is burned during aerobic exercise.

But for many urbanites, the trend is more about stress relief than fitness, with some netizens comparing the new take on KTV to the “mountain shout,” or hanshan, where people vent their frustrations by yelling into open landscapes.

Xiao Qing, a post-’80s generation blogger from eastern China’s Zhejiang province, told Sixth Tone she first saw the KTV fitness trend online and decided to try it herself.

“Cycling or running definitely burns more,” admitted Xiao. “But I enjoy singing. If I can do what I love and burn some calories at the same time, why not?”

Rather than following the popular “calorie-burning” playlists, Xiao simply belts out her favorite songs. For her, the benefit goes beyond fitness: it’s about escaping the stressors of daily life.

Chen Xia, a 24-year-old marketing assistant in Shanghai, told Sixth Tone that she also enjoys it for its tension-relieving properties. “I just finished a week of back-to-back deadlines,” she says. “Singing at KTV until I’m hoarse feels like shouting all my stress away. It’s freeing.”

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: Visuals from Xiaohongshu and reedited by Sixth Tone)