5 Ways to Get Summer Fit in Hong Kong

SUP Yoga 

Hong Kong’s SUP Yoga classes are back, with a special Acroyoga event with guest teacher David Ho on August 6 (3-5:30pm). If you’re already comfortable flying around in partner yoga exercises on land, the next challenge is giving it a try on the water for an added edge. New to the whole thing? You might want to check into a regular SUP Yoga class first...Regular SUP Yoga dates: Jul 24, Aug 7, 14, 10-11:30am; Aug 20, 27, 2:30-4pm. $500 includes board rental. Stanley Main Beach, Stanley, [email protected]

Eatology

Eating clean can feel like even more of a chore when summer barbecues and junk parties are all in full swing. If you want to spring for a healthy but delicious meal plan this summer, Eatology is one of our favorite new options: Tailor-made, ready-to-eat-meals that are packed full of flavor and won’t have you craving a bag of M&Ms by 3pm. Opt for one of the meal plans that suits your budget and lifestyle, and you’ll get a delivery every morning with conveniently packaged meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-between snacks. All the meals we tried were dishes we’d happily order at a restaurant, from wholewheat ham and egg muffins for breakfast to mint barramundi with potato purée for lunch and turkey fried rice and salmon for dinner. Each day’s meals come with a menu listing carbs, protein, fat and total calories making it that much easier to track your intake and work your way to a summer six-pack. Meal plans start at $308 per day. Eatologyasia.com

Surfset

Want to get a surfer’s bod but worried about all that water? Surfset—a fitness routine based on the athletic benefits of catching waves—now has a home in Hung Hom. Workouts are done on a Surfset machine: a surfboard placed on a base of three rubber balls to give you the feeling of being out on the water, allowing you to work on balance and build core strength. Three small group workouts are on offer: “Balance,” for beginners, focuses on yoga-like moves for flexibility and core training; “Build” classes are all bodyweight and resistance circuit training to help you get shredded; and “Burn” classes are a mix of both with high intensity intervals to burn fat. I recently got to try a Balance class: Despite knowing my way around a stand-up paddle board, I was focusing mostly on not wobbling for the first half, which meant I lost out on all the squats and jumps. That said, it really forces you to focus on form and to utilize every muscle. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a sweaty and effective workout. $100 for first time trial, $250 for single class. Unit A, 13/F, Kaiser Estate, Phase 1, 41 Man Yue St., Hung Hom, 2362-3665, surfset.hk

Health Fest

Organized by Elite Personal Training, this August sees the inaugural Health Fest in Central, bringing some of the top niche fitness centers and nutrition experts together so the public can sample the latest fitness trends. The festival kicks off at 8:30am on Aug 7 with a large-scale group training session for all ages, where the aim is to beat the Guinness World Record for the most bicycle kicks in a minute. Other activities include a functional training session by BikiniFit and a high intensity dance class by Elle Kealy. All proceeds from vendors will be donated to charities including Youth Diabetes Action, non-profit art space Things That Can Happen and the Ocean Recovery Alliance. Best of all, entry is free! Aug 7, 8:30am-12:30pm, Central Harbourfront SummerFest (next to the Observation Wheel).

Ursus Fitness

Think your gym workout is a bit lacking? If you’re looking for a real challenge, you may want to check out Sai Ying Pun gym Ursus Fitness. It isn’t for the faint-hearted: “Ursus,” derived from the Latin word for “bear,” couldn’t be more aptly named. It claims to be the first gym in Hong Kong to offer strongman training, tailored after the competition sport which features tough rounds like truck dragging or tire flipping. HK Mag reporter and resident powerlifter Stephanie Tsui recently went for a trial strongman class to check it out. It starts off with a general introduction to the conventional deadlift, before quickly progressing into an intensive 40 minute session of compound movements, including cleaning and pressing huge “log” weights, lifting Atlas Stone boulders, keg presses and bear crawl sled drags. There was absolutely no room to breathe, slow down, or to analyze technique, so it wasn’t exactly a beginners’ class—but it’s definitely a good, all-round introduction to a strongman workout. Classes from $250. Unit 2-4, 64-68 Pok Fu Lam Rd., Sai Ying Pun, 2803-2774, ursusfitness.com