In With The New: Top 5 Fitness Trends in HK

In With The New: Top 5 Fitness Trends in HK

Tennis, football and jogging - move over! Those days of serving across the court in a game of doubles, kicking a ball around the Happy Valley greens, and stretching your legs ‘round the track to the beat of your iPod are fading into the monochrome hues of yesterday. So how are peeps staying slim ‘n’ trim these days?

 

Chances are you’ve likely come across signs and ads for “Crossfit” or “Antigravity” classes on offer at gyms and yoga studios citywide. Or how about those occasional posts in your Facebook news-feed about “yogalates” or “piloxing”? This article is for those of you who are lagging behind and somewhat confused with the influx of new fitness lingo. Here’s the lowdown of the five hottest workout crazes in Hong Kong that have started replacing old-skool sports and activities.

 

[P.S. Yes, some of these have been around a while and may be “old news” elsewhere, but have recently gained momentum and popularity here in Hong Kong.]

 

 

 

Antigravity

You can pretty much guess what Antigravity (a.k.a. ‘aerial yoga’ or ‘flyoga’) entails from its name - yoga-ing while floating mid-air, which looks and sounds ridiculously fun. But how is this even possible? Studios are equipped with silk cocoon hammocks that hang from the ceiling (it’s OK, they’re sturdy) - with these you suspend yourself up and support yourself while you swing, stretch, dangle upside down, balance and hold inverted poses.

 

What are the benefits?

Aside from being the ultimate stress-buster, Antigravity does wonders stretching and aligning the spine,  muscular strength, agility and joint mobility. Gravity compresses the spine and discs which causes backaches, swollen feet and varicose veins, so eliminating it from the equation enables you to stretch,  (gravity compresses our spine / discs and is the culprit behind backaches, swollen feet and nasty varicose veins.)

 

Where is it offered?

 

 

Rebounding

A comeback from the 80s that’s making ripples here lately is ‘rebounding’ or simply put, bouncing on a mini-trampoline. It doesn’t sound like anything innovative or special, so why is it the talk of the town? Maybe because it’s a seemingly effortless and fun way to lose those winter rolls, beef up or get toned, or maybe because it’s a major calorie-zapper. Asia’s first-ever trampoline fitness studio BounceLimit claims that one hour of rebounding will burn up to 1000 calories! The low impact exercise is also easy on the joints as the trampolines take up to 85% of the shock. 

 

What are the benefits?

Rebounding is an adrenaline-pumping, high-intensity and low-impact cardio workout that incorporates stability, core, muscle toning. It’s said to aid digestion, boost lymphatic drainage and immune infection, improve balance, help oxygen circulation throughout the body, support the thyroid and adrenals - the list could go on and on and on...

 

Where is it offered?

 

 

 

SoulCycle

Are you an avid fan of the legendary David Beckham? If so, you may be familiar with this one considering Becks holds the self-proclaimed title of World’s Biggest SoulCycle Fanatic. At first glance, it just looks like spinning, but SoulCyclists will tell you it’s anything but. This vigorous, flab-kicking, cardio workout from the Big Apple has revolutionised indoor cycling and is all about sensory stimulation. Set in rave-like studios (think thumping bass, dark with coloured lights) the focus of SoulCycle is heavy on strengthening core muscles and tightening abs, and working the whole bod. Weights are used to tone the upper body and arms, and rather than pushing down on the pedals, you’re instructed to pull up to strengthen and define that six-pack. We’re not gonna lie: it’s tough, but just think of that rewarding post-workout high...

 

What are the benefits?

Within minutes, you'll be sweating out toxins in buckets and depending on your effort of course, you can burn an average of 500-700 calories per high-energy and endorphin-inducing session that typically lasts 45 minutes, when doing 80-100 RPM. The routines and mini-exercises don't just strengthen your legs but your whole body, upper and lower, building up your endurance, flexibility, power, strength, balance and a lot more.   

 

 

Where is it offered?

 

 

 

Lagree Fitness

With the fundamentals leaning heavily on pilates, Lagree fitness or “pilates-on-crack” is a fast-paced full-body conditioning concept that works all your muscles into overdrive. That may sound intimidating and like a nightmare for some, but the results waiting on the other side are bound to win you over. It’s a swift but arduous 45-minutes of pulling, sliding and pushing yourself to the max on a ‘megaformer’ (an amped-up version of the super pilates reformer) that can be adjusted according to your specs and level. 

 

What are the benefits?

Lagree fitness is the answer to a lean ‘n’ mean physique. The main aims of the 1000+ short routines (1-2 minutes each) under the Lagree umbrella are to tone and elongate your muscles while building core endurance and correcting posture, plus the merciless pace makes it a cardiovascular bootcamp.

 

Where is it offered?

 

 

 

MMA

As the name implies, MMA or Mixed Martial Arts is a combination of five Olympic sports (boxing, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, wrestling and judo) and other fighting styles including Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira and Vale Tudo. The full contact combat sport has actually been around forever, but it’s become a blast from the past and has gained a huge global following in recent years. To state the obvious, it’s a dynamic and physically-demanding test, with hard-core techniques that chisel your body and builds competence in the four areas of combat: striking, clinching, take-downs and grappling. And like all martial arts, MMA is big on etiquette and qualities like discipline, trust and respect for your opponent.

 

What are the benefits?

The benefits that come with MMA fighting are endless, the most notable aspects being strength, endurance, balance, confidence and self-respect. The range in styles means you utilise and train every square inch of the body, enhancing muscular and core strength and guarding against conditions like osteoporosis and weakness from aging. Cardio conditioning to amplify stamina promotes peak performance of vital organs like the heart and lungs and with endurance comes flexibility, agility, balance and more. Plus, what could be more assuring than knowing how to take down the silly fool who tries to mug you or start a drunken Lockhart Road brawl?

                                                 

Where is it offered?