We’ve seen our fair share of those crazy viral challenges that basically promote extreme, not to mention unhealthy body standards.

Like the environmentally-unfriendly ‘A4 Waist Challenge’ in which women hold up sheets of A4 paper to see if the width of the paper can completely hide their waist.

Or the ‘Belly Button Challenge’ that saw netizens, mostly women, show how slim a waistline they have by reaching an arm around their waist to touch their navel.

The latest social media fad to hit China is the ‘Manhua Waist Challenge’ where netizens try to mimic this comic character’s pose (scroll down). (Ed: 'Manhua' means 'comic' in Chinese or 'manga' in Japanese.)

The crazy pose is best described as a backwards letter ‘Z’ and to achieve that, one has to contort her body to look like a snake going down a flight of stairs (do not Google image that) but instead of stairs, it’s a chair. It’s freaky and looks like something your chiropractor would not want you to do.

And if you succeed in this challenge (and didn't break your back in the process), it basically means you are really bendy and can apply to be a contortionist when Cirque de Soleil is back in business. Also, are we supposed to now believe that our bodies can do what comic book characters can?

As expected, a number of netizens flocked to take on this challenge, presumably to show how their many Lululemon-wearing hours at yoga class have paid off.

The most notable name to attempt the challenge is Chinese actress Yang Mi, 34, who posted this pic (see above) with this caption: “Raising my hand to take part in the Manhua Waist Challenge. It’s quite difficult.”

While the initial reaction to her post was positive ─ her fans raved about her flexibility and how “hot” she looked ─ all that quickly turned into criticism.

“I’ve had enough! Always creating anxiety for women when it comes body image!” and “Will female stars die if they don’t take part in such meaningless physical challenges?” were just two of the many negative comments directed at Yang Mi.

The actress was clearly aware of all the hate she was getting and she soon deleted the post.

She then uploaded this apology: “I recently saw this challenge involving a stretching exercise that was difficult to execute. I found it interesting so I took it on and posted a photo. Today, I realised that the pose, if not guided by a professional coach, could hurt your body. I am really, really sorry. My thoughtlessness caused this misunderstanding (….) I will be more careful in the future. I apologise again.”

Her work studio also followed up with a statement of their own, writing: “We will be more careful after this. Here’s another reminder to have professional guidance when executing difficult movements.”

Let's hope everyone takes her words to heart, which they probably will... well, at least until the next viral challenge.

Photos: Weibo