Jenny Chui started training for marathons to lose weight after giving birth to her daughter Mila four years ago. She talks about her initial reluctance to train and how her husband’s support was a big help.

What if you have cancer in Hong Kong and don’t speak Cantonese? Two cancer survivors who were in that boat set up Facebook group Cancer Connect Hong Kong; the women help each other with practicalities and offer an emotional lifeline.

Christina Strong developed post-traumatic stress disorder after her son died having suffered multiple strokes caused by a rare genetic disease. She learned to control it through therapy, and now helps other families overcome similar ordeals.

Art therapy is increasingly being used to complement cancer treatments as part of a wellness programme. A Hong Kong cancer support organisation is offering three-day mandala making workshops and the artworks are going on display at an exhibition.

The Waiting Room is set in an abortion clinic and explores women’s experiences with abortion and its aftermath, and reproductive health. Abortion is legal in Hong Kong, but is more complicated and stressful than in the UK, and there is a lack of psychological care.

Hong Kong-based Amy Mumford beat stage three breast cancer at the age of 27; now 41, the mother of five beats the field most often when she runs a marathon. She’s up at 3am every day, and packs in a 9km training run and two swims.

Hong Kong’s first LPGA golf pro talks about learning to let go after a bad shot. After missing the cut in seven tournaments, she is using mindfulness to get back on track.

Climber who scaled 900-metre granite wall of El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park without ropes climbs in a ‘fear bubble’, says producer of Free Solo, Oscar-winning film of the ascent.

Carol Farrington, 63, lives for yoga, and her gym workouts include handstands, TRX, pull-ups, lunges and rope routines. When she retires she’ll teach yoga full-time, and says all this exercise keeps her mentally sharp. Experts agree.

Exercise is an outlet for stress, and sport teaches resilience, say Hong Kong sevens internationals Salom Yiu and Chong Ka-yan; former All Black John Kirwan gives his perspective on mental health at a wellness summit.

The Wim Hof Method allows you to operate efficiently under high stress by using breathing as you do when relaxed. Practitioners believe it reduces infection, and heals chronic medical conditions and psychological problems.

Brazilian capoeira master and black belt jiu-jitsu instructor Fernando Junior claims people have self-defence all wrong; he offers tips on how best to protect yourself against an attacker, especially one bigger and stronger than you.

Optune is an electrical therapy device that treats a deadly brain tumour type known as glioblastoma multiforme. It creates an electric field around the tumour to disrupt the growth and reproduction of cancer cells in the brain.

Driving a racing car is incredibly hot work, and mentally and physically demanding, so drivers need to be in peak condition. Sam Bird, who defends his Formula E title in Hong Kong this weekend, takes us though his fitness regimen.

Non-profit group Mind Hong Kong rolls out Move It for Mental Health campaign to encourage people to increase their fitness activity, as research shows exercise contributes to improved psychological well-being.

Relaxation can help reduce side effects from chemotherapy and cut down the stress that comes with fighting cancer; male-only yoga classes allow men to destress without feeling self-conscious.

Mick Tsang and Tina Choi loved food, until it became a problem. Weighing 224kg between them, they took on a weight loss challenge and, with the support of new-found friends, began exercising. They haven’t looked back since.

Ultrarunner Janet Shum believes running can lift you out of a mental funk. Breathing exercises and a meat-free diet have helped her push beyond her limits.

Hong Kong’s Aerial Arts Academy AAA offers pole dance and aerial acrobatics with silks and hoops. Co-founder Vee Lea talks about overcoming social attitudes to pole dance.

Since Leanne Szeto made the switch from regular triathlons to longer distances she has had to work much more on endurance, and uses heart rate data from her smartwatch to optimise training sessions.

Graham Player has practised the Hung Gar discipline of kung fu since he was a teenager. He still teaches the martial art five days a week, and practises a philosophy that combines Western and Chinese medicine.

Innovations in women’s health are teaching women about their bodies, changing attitudes and breaking taboos around menstruation. 

South Korean Lee Yong-dae, a gold medallist at the 2008 Games and a former world No 1, retired in 2016 – but now he’s back. The 30-year-old tells us about hitting the gym and using visualisation to defeat opponents.

Nine in 10 parents in China would struggle to identify warning signs of the disease in their children, survey finds; another survey finds a reluctance to get screened for diabetes even though respondents know the importance of checks.

New research finds link between young cancer survivors’ ability to envision their futures and their risk of illnesses such as depression. However, experience in Hong Kong suggests most face more mundane challenges.

Sandy Shum didn’t take her diabetes seriously until she collapsed and ended up in hospital. After her husband got her a glucose monitor implant, she changed her attitude and turned her life around.

• About 75 per cent of Hongkongers fear developing cancer, according to a survey. But only one third of those take preventive measures, such as undergoing screenings

After a painful split from his long-term boyfriend, Dennis Philipse founded LGBT+ outdoor activities group Out in Hong Kong, and its popularity encouraged him to push for the city to host the showpiece sports event.

More than one in three professionals surveyed in Hong Kong said they have had symptoms of poor mental health. Most still went to work and nearly all said their employers didn’t have the resources to help them.

New mothers are at risk of all kinds of injuries from repetitive child lifting and carrying. We talk to an expert on how to ease the aches.