Fast Fitness in Hong Kong

The options to get fit and stay fit in Hong Kong seem to be increasing with each month and it’s a constant game of ‘guess what’s coming next’ in the (sometimes weird) but mostly wonderful world of wellness!

Forget sweating it out in a big box gym when there are a ton of other more eclectic exercise options out there.  In fact, it’s not even all about exercise these days.  

It’s no longer true that your first stop when it comes to better health and fitness is naturally the gym. As technology that’s been reserved for athletes and serious sporty types get cheaper and more widely available we can now get our hands on some systems that claim to speed up our results saving us time. Since Hong Kongers seem to be super short on time, who doesn’t love that idea?

So with that in mind, here’s my round-up of Hong Kong’s top 3 fitness accelerators that promise to recharge, revitalize and renew in less time than it takes to say dairy-free-superfood-smoothie…

HYPOXI

Celeb trainers, models and busy women from London to New York have long touted the potential benefits of treatments that stimulate the lymphatic system, claiming that these treatments can help combat cellulite and create a slimmer-looking silhouette.  Enter HYPOXI in Hong Kong.  In full disclosure, I haven’t tried HYPOXI myself so I can’t speak for the results but there’s enough evidence that similar treatments, when performed by skilled technicians and combined with appropriate exercise and nutrition, do actually combat the dreaded orange peel skin that I’m planning to give this my oh-so-scientific personal test later on this year.

Like anything that promises dream solutions to one of our niggling problems, you’ll need a bit of commitment to see results.  At least 12 treatments, to be precise, before you decide whether Hypoxi is worth the hype, because not even machines can escape the fact there’s no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to looking gorgeous!

DNA Fit

Talking of tech to get you in shape, why not get your DNA tested and find out exactly how you should be training, eating and resting in order to get amazing results? Athletes have been doing this for years to get an edge and now the rest of the world is ready to catch up.  DNA Fit is a simple cheek swab test that analyses your unique DNA profile. So what’s the benefit?

As a personal trainer and nutrition coach I’ll let you in on a secret.  When a client comes to us we’ve got a pretty good idea where things might be going wrong and how to get that client results.  We start with the obvious stuff… move more, eat better etc (that’s the short version).

But since each client is different we essentially make educated guesses as to what’s going to work the best for each client, sometimes spending months or even years testing, tweaking and retesting until we hit the jackpot.

Now, with the advent of DNA tests for each client, we can take MONTHS off this process accelerating results and saving everyone time, money and effort.

With DNA Fit, the results of your test come back within 3 weeks and you even get a consultation to explain the contents of your report and a 12 week recommended meal plan to match your results.

Expect to learn what kind of training program you’ll respond to best, what kind of diet will work for you, whether you can tolerate foods like carbs or fats and what kind of supplements you might need for best results, among other things. Oh….and yes, it will also tell you if you’ve got the ‘alcohol gene’. We’ve all heard that the occasional glass of red wine has health benefits. Apparently only so for a portion of the population who have the required genetic make-up for this. Which is a bummer for the rest of us.

Tests are $4500 and can be ordered via your personal trainer or from www.absolutedna.hk

Body Express

If Usain Bolt does it, maybe we should too…

Body Express has brought EMS (Electrical Muscular Stimulation) to Hong Kong. Expect to suit up as if you’re going scuba diving and perform basic exercises (squats, lunges etc) for around 20 min. It looks ridiculous, but the science suggests this form of training has real benefits.

EMS delivers little electric shocks to your muscles, increasing the % of the muscle that’s activated. When you perform a movement with your muscles contracted, the strain is increased. Basically, this stuff is hard on your body.  By stimulating your muscles MORE, you can workout for less time. Your body will burn up calories repairing your muscles while you sleep and in theory, you’ll create more lean muscle mass, further boosting your results.

No, you can’t sit around on the couch and expect this machine to get you results, but when used in conjunction with exercise, studies by the American Council on Exercise have found increased results with people using EMS.  Ideal for serious fitness enthusiasts, gym lovers (and haters) and those who need an alternative to build muscle mass, for example after injury.

Elle Kealy is an international business coach for fitness health and wellness professionals looking to launch their businesses with a bang and women’s fitness expert, personal trainer and nutrition coach helping women around the world eat better and feel fantastic in just 90 days or less. For more information on working with Elle visit