Hongkongers hit Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park for free regular early-morning workout
New fitness pop-up #JustShowUp welcomes Hongkongers of all fitness levels to participate in a free weekly 45-minute boot camp in Sheung Wan
There is no such thing as a free lunch, but there certainly is such a thing as a free workout. Since April, a trio of Americans in Hong Kong have been leading a 45-minute boot camp class every Wednesday at 7am at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sheung Wan. Rain or shine.
On one recent Wednesday, just as the Hong Kong Observatory issued an amber rain warning, a group of 13 people – myself included – gathered at the park. Pelted by raindrops, we did a series of bodyweight exercises and sprints in teams of three. Every five minutes, we would switch moves, from bear crawls to burpees, push-ups to planks.
There is no fee, no membership, no commitment needed to join the workout. No hidden advertising, no sales pitch, no strings attached. No limit to participation. The only catch (which is also the group’s namesake): just show up.
“We all really love working out and, for me, this city is so expensive and we’re going to do this workout on our own anyway, so why not involve other people and give them something to do?” says Lisa Hopey, who co-founded #JustShowUp with fiance Trevor Fox and long-time friend Rebecca Shore.
Shore, who moved to Hong Kong from Washington State in October 2015, adds: “Another reason [we’re doing this] is because I do so many of the Meetups in Hong Kong – like hiking, running or cultural tours – so it’s a chance to give back to the community. I really like the team aspect of working out together; being able to lead and to get people excited about working out is where I get pay-off.”
#JustShowUp is really a product of passion. All three founders have day jobs: Hopey is a designer, Fox a digital marketing consultant, and Shore works in innovation and capability development.