Fit tips for the wealthy who want to be healthy
Rob Devereux keeps his customers on their toes. He is a personal trainer charging $600 an hour to take them through fitness routines, mostly at The Gym in Central.
Mr Devereux keeps himself fit with bike riding, aerobic step classes, gym workouts and squash. The single, 31-year-old Briton has lived in Hong Kong for most of his life, except when studying for a sports science degree in England.
He is now studying for a Master's degree in exercise science. His resting pulse rate has been as low as 38, far below the average rate of 70 beats per minute.
What's on your mind? I'm really busy at the moment. Now that people are coming back from summer holidays, my client base has really increased. They all want to get fit, especially for next summer.
I'm thinking about my thesis topic, which will be about the use of diet supplements.
I'm also running a lot of workshops to teach personal trainers, which are at weekends.
How are you fitting everything in? I wish that I had a few more hours in the day. It's really just a question of prioritising time so I can get it all done by the end of the year.
What sort of people hire personal trainers? Pretty well anyone from secretaries to lawyers. They are people who are concerned about their health and fitness, and can afford it.
Are more people wanting to get fit these days? Absolutely. It's a great trend in Hong Kong. Previously, it was mostly Western people but more and more local Chinese people are exercising.
In the past Chinese have seen being a little bit overweight as a sign of wealth; that 'we can eat a lot'. Their mindset is changing.
What parts of the body attract fat and what can be done to lose it? Men tend to store fat on the stomach region and women on thighs and hips. Cardiovascular exercise works well: biking, using a treadmill, aerobics and walking. Walking is really a fantastic exercise.
