A photo taken in 1985 showing people at a Beijing gymnasium. [Photo by Huang Xiaobing/for China Daily]

Time waits for no man or woman, especially in the gym. Two pictures, decades apart, showcase a different approach to shaping the human form through exercise. Finely tuned bodies glisten with sweat at a Beijing gymnasium in 1985 when the very concept of a workout could raise eyebrows. In contrast, in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in 2014, those dedicated to the body beautiful are less revealing in their attire and use equipment to help them shed excess weight.

A photo taken in 2014 showing women do excercises at a gymnasium in Shen Zhen, South China's Guangdong province. [Photo by Wu Jun/for China Daily]

Another change over the decades is that the traditional shyness about bodies and exercise is not as prevalent as it once was, though it still remains far from easy to get into shape!