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Six-pack at 16: Rise of social media sees more teens hitting the gym

(Clockwise from bottom) Sabesan Tamilvanan, Jason Lim, Jake Aung, and Rico Wong, 17-year-old friends at Woodlands ActiveSG Gym.
More teens are signing up for personal training and starting gym routines early, some as young as 13 years old. Several gyms reported an increase in number of teenage gym-goers in the last five years, attributing it to social media and peer influence.

(Clockwise from foreground) Tamilvanan Sabesan, Jason Lim, Jake Aung and Rico Wong, all 17, exercising at Woodlands ActiveSG Gym. Teens are starting personal training and gym routines early, some as young as 13.

ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Jane Ng

SINGAPORE – Getting fit, bulking up and wanting to look good – more teenagers are starting gym routines early, while others are signing up for personal training.

Several gyms report an increase in the number of teenage clients in the last five years, attributing the rise to social media and peer influence.

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