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Once or twice a week, Maiko Fujita slips out of bed at sunrise to visit her local Anytime Fitness gym while her husband and teenage daughter are still asleep.

The 47-year-old human resources officer has been training for long-distance walking competitions and joined the 24-hour sports club a year and a half ago. Her workout routine involves an hour using weight machines and another hour or two walking on a treadmill.

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