Chinese gyms are being forced to livestream their workouts as fears of the coronavirus have left them largely deserted, owners said.

The online routines have become popular in recent weeks as fitness centers and studios attempt to hold on to their client base, according to owners across China, where some people are avoiding public places because of the outbreak.

“We don’t want our clients to forget us,” said Chris Li, owner of Pilates Proworks in Shanghai. “And if we are not doing anything, some might be afraid that we were already gone.”

Liu Xiaojin, the founder of Beijing gym chain Gravity Plus, said they launched online classes 10 days ago and began renting out gym equipment to generate extra cash.

“I’m not planning on stealing new clients, I just want to protect my existing customers,” Liu said.

The deadly outbreak has hurt the local economy with some experts forecasting the country’s growth could stall into the low single digits this quarter.

The death toll from the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has reached more than 1,800 — most in mainland China — and it has infected more than 73,000 people worldwide.

With Post wires