https://www.scmp.com/rss/324921/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Delusion often follows every Spartan Race training session – “It wasn’t that bad,” I think, “I’m quite fit actually.” But revisiting the movements has a habit of reminding us we are not blessed with a natural level of fitness, or in some cases, even coordination. With less than two weeks until the Spartan Race on April 14, the group of Post reporters completed their penultimate training session with personal trainer Andrew Power, as they count down to tackling the challenge. Get in shape for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2140283/trying-and-failing-jump-start-our-way-shape-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2140283/trying-and-failing-jump-start-our-way-shape-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:00:30 +0000 For a week, I woke up to find my sheets soaked in sweat. During the day, the headache and fever were unpleasant, but not bad enough, I concluded, to waste months of training at altitude, and an invitation to join the MSIG Sai Kung 50km trail race in Hong Kong. I decided to run and “sweat the cold out”. On race day, adrenaline and excitement fizzled out quickly – soon followed by strength and energy. I dragged myself listlessly over the hills of Sai Kung, sweating profusely from humidity and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2135498/running-cold-why-you-shouldnt-even-think-about-it-trust-me?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2135498/running-cold-why-you-shouldnt-even-think-about-it-trust-me?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Mar 2018 10:49:14 +0000 The world’s first urban exploration race series that combines technology with fitness is coming to Singapore and Hong Kong. Called District Race, the event taps peoples’ inner explorer while tearing them away from the mundane and superficial, and from the couch, says District Race co-founder and chief executive Ben Pember. It’s also an innovative way to get fit and a fun alternative to hiking or running, he says. “We plan to get participants off the well-beaten paths and discover parts of Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2134404/singapore-hong-kong-hosts-tech-fuelled-urban-races-combine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2134404/singapore-hong-kong-hosts-tech-fuelled-urban-races-combine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Feb 2018 04:31:37 +0000 Though you can wear them on your wrist and they are capable of keeping time, most fitness trackers on the market, such as the Fitbit Alta and Samsung Gear Fit, look nothing like watches. Even some smartwatches – like Apple’s square-ish all-screen “Watch” – don’t look like traditional timepieces. Instead, manufacturers seem keen on making these devices look as much like a mini computer as possible. Three wildly wonderful watches – check out the bad boys of the watch world The Nokia Steel HR does... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2133475/nokia-steel-hr-review-fitness-tracker-looks-wristwatch-your-parents-would?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2133475/nokia-steel-hr-review-fitness-tracker-looks-wristwatch-your-parents-would?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Feb 2018 11:47:29 +0000 January is nearly over, and many of us will have at least attempted to start 2018 with a healthy new lifestyle. However, if you’ve found yourself lacking in inspiration or have fallen off the wagon, help is at hand. Wren Kitchens teamed up with a group of seven fitness influencers – including a Barry’s Bootcamp trainer, a dancer, and a model – to find out how they’re staying fit and healthy in 2018, and they shared a peek inside their fridges. While they each have their own take on healthy... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2130991/surprising-foods-fitness-influencers-eat-stay-lean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2130991/surprising-foods-fitness-influencers-eat-stay-lean?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2018 05:01:40 +0000 Thousands of potentially world-class runners in Kenya fall by the wayside with just 25 spots on the national team, but a new crowd funded Hong Kong charity is giving them a second chance to earn a living through the sport they love. MIRARunners aims to bring professionally-trained young Kenyan talent to cities across Asia, including Hong Kong, to teach budding amateur runners while competing in local road marathons. “Some young Kenyans are training very hard but never get a chance to represent... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/health-fitness/article/2125772/how-hong-kong-charity-giving-kenyas-forgotten-runners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/health-fitness/article/2125772/how-hong-kong-charity-giving-kenyas-forgotten-runners?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2017 03:45:00 +0000 Ultra-running by its very nature takes hours, and even days, of training. But when you are raising one-year-old twin girls, time is of the essence. Hong Kong venture capitalist Derek Kwik has run a multi-day ultra-marathon every year since 2000. It all started with a 500km, 10-day race in Malaysia. Life has changed since: he is approaching 50 years of age and is now a father. No mountain too high for Hong Kong charity runner Stephen Pau – how he trains for endurance trail races and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2124938/hong-kong-ultrarunner-how-he-stays-motivated-middle-age-even?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2124938/hong-kong-ultrarunner-how-he-stays-motivated-middle-age-even?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2017 04:45:30 +0000 The moment Tony Or Hang-tat stepped outside his tent, he absolutely understood why hikers hang food and rubbish in bags on high tree branches before retiring for the night. The big black bear looking his way must have weighed 136kg (300 pounds). Or stood frozen as the bear turned and lumbered away. This was in the northeastern US state of Pennsylvania, 13 weeks into an adventure of a lifetime: hiking the whole of the Appalachian Trail that stretches 3,525km (2,190 miles) from Georgia to Maine... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2124518/appalachian-trail-pioneer-first-hongkonger-hike-full-3500km?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2124518/appalachian-trail-pioneer-first-hongkonger-hike-full-3500km?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Dec 2017 12:00:15 +0000 Exhausted and alone, I fell in the middle of a road somewhere in southern China, around 20 kilometres from the end of a mammoth bike ride I was completely unprepared for. You might think I deserved it – who in their right mind signs up at the last minute for a 160km ordeal from Zhuhai to Kaiping with a company called “Mad Dogs”? Sprawled over two lanes after my wheel caught an imperfection in the tarmac, which jerked the bike back, I scrambled to the side of the road before being hit by oncoming... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/health-fitness/article/2124242/none-gear-and-no-idea-only-mad-dogs-and-scotsmen-cycle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/health-fitness/article/2124242/none-gear-and-no-idea-only-mad-dogs-and-scotsmen-cycle?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2017 02:15:30 +0000 Two Hongkongers are battling sore feet and extreme heat as they run 300 kilometres from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Matthew Pocock and Mark Ferguson are on day three of their seven day challenge, which includes six back-to-back ultra-marathons and concludes with the Angkor Wat half marathon. “I don’t think we’ve done the hardest part,” Pocock said. “It’s the repeated days on your feet that get you. Mark has already lost two nails after two out of six days. The biggest challenges are feet and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/trail-running/article/2122063/six-consecutive-ultra-marathons-two-hongkongers-running?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/trail-running/article/2122063/six-consecutive-ultra-marathons-two-hongkongers-running?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2017 03:45:30 +0000 With the lights down low, everyone starts jumping to the beat of the music, while LED lights beneath our feet flash in different colours. This sounds like a disco, but it’s not. We are in a gym, and rather than the dance floor, we are balancing on rebounders. This is LED Game Night, one of 10 different classes offered at Bounce Limit, a rebounder training studio in Sheung Wan. A rebounder looks like a mini-trampoline, but the technique of jumping on the two is quite different. On a regular... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2120666/how-hong-kong-rebounder-training-asias-first-studio-gets-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2120666/how-hong-kong-rebounder-training-asias-first-studio-gets-you?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Nov 2017 10:32:45 +0000 Running for 13 kilometres, crawling through mud and under barbed wire, swinging from monkey bars and crashing through cold water is not Arron Leale’s idea of fun. But the recruiter from Oliver James Associates has been motivated to take on the Spartan Race this weekend by loved ones who confronted cancer. “I think everyone has been affected in some way,” Leale said. “I actually lost my cousin about two months ago, he was 11. “So if there’s anything we can do to help that will be great.” Leale... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2117927/arron-leale-leaves-beach-weights-behind-and-finds-grit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2117927/arron-leale-leaves-beach-weights-behind-and-finds-grit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2017 06:40:58 +0000 Stand-up paddle board yoga (SUPyoga) can be a release for Hongkongers trapped in the concrete jungle, according to SUPyoga instructor Charlotte Piho. “There’s an amazing city that’s so vibrant, but it’s good for people to get out into nature,” she said. “And when you go onto the water, as soon as you are there you are detached,” Piho added. “You don’t have your phone, or technology.” Piho is based in Sydney and she hosts SUPyoga retreats in Australia and the Cook Islands. She visited Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/health-fitness/article/2117731/out-water-you-are-detached-stand-paddle-board-yoga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/health-fitness/article/2117731/out-water-you-are-detached-stand-paddle-board-yoga?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Oct 2017 04:09:32 +0000 Hong Kong’s reputation as a concrete jungle was shattered for hundreds of international hikers who took part in the Fjällräven Classic Hong Kong. The Classic is a 47-kilometre unsupported hike over three days. The participants are required to carry everything they need for their hike through the New Territories, including food, gas stoves and tents for camping. There is a Classic in Sweden, Denmark and the US. At the intersection of stage three and four on the Maclehose, 352 hikers that came... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/2116745/where-tropical-forest-ocean-and-city-meets-conceptions-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/2116745/where-tropical-forest-ocean-and-city-meets-conceptions-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:41:52 +0000 Concentrating at your desk for more than a few minutes can be hard enough, but for two teachers paddle boarding around Lantau, they need to maintain focus for hours just to stay out of the water. Jonny Haines, a teacher at Discovery Bay International School, says that he’s turning to yoga to practise. “Yoga is perfect for paddle boarding. You get in a zone,” he said. “On the board, sometimes if you lose focus, that’s when you fall. But if you can maintain that concentration, it will be very... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2115731/meet-two-teachers-zone-paddle-board-around-lantau-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2115731/meet-two-teachers-zone-paddle-board-around-lantau-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2017 08:50:06 +0000 Hong Kong has hit on a winning formula with its annual cyclothon. The event has appeal for locals and tourists alike, attracts international athletes, brings families together and promotes fitness. Its success this year was amply gauged by the festive atmosphere created by 4,900 competitors and about 60,000 spectators. It is exactly what our city needs to push its international image while building a better and stronger community. The narrow, congested, streets of Hong Kong would not seem... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115396/cyclothon-has-city-right-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2115396/cyclothon-has-city-right-track?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2017 16:50:38 +0000 Stephanie Tsui Yan-ting began powerlifting two years ago to find a common interest with her boyfriend, and it has changed her life. Now she hits the gym five times a week – waking up before dawn and training for two hours before heading to work – and can dead lift 140kg, more than double her weight. How CrossFit helps a Hong Kong mum keep her family fit and fab Tsui, 26, who trains at Fitness First, is among a growing number of women getting into weightlifting and resistance training. Nowhere is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2115080/three-hong-kong-women-weightlifters-who-arent-shy-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2115080/three-hong-kong-women-weightlifters-who-arent-shy-about?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2017 10:45:48 +0000 Hong Kong riders have promised to come back stronger after finishing one lap behind a world-class field in the UCI 1.1 class criterium race during Sunday’s Cyclothon. None of the six Hong Kong riders could manage to clock an official finishing time in the 20-lap race because they finished too far back in the 103km Hong Kong Challenge raced along Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom. In the end, Leung Ka-yu was the highest placed finish but he was still one lap behind the leaders in 31st position, while... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2114445/well-come-back-stronger-cyclothon-next-year-vow-hong-kong-riders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2114445/well-come-back-stronger-cyclothon-next-year-vow-hong-kong-riders?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Oct 2017 12:45:15 +0000 When Cotopaxi, an adventure gear and apparel company based in Salt Lake City, launched three years ago, founder and chief executive officer Davis Smith decided to get creative. “We bought two llamas on Craigslist and brought them to a bunch of college campuses around Utah,” he says. “Hundreds of students took selfies, so we had 30,000 social media posts by the end of that first day.” Though the strategy sounds like something dreamed up on the fly, the idea for a socially minded, sustainable... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2114083/why-cotopaxis-outdoor-gear-designed-last-61-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2114083/why-cotopaxis-outdoor-gear-designed-last-61-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Oct 2017 04:30:15 +0000 Two years ago, Kimberley Carder fought – and beat – Tricia Yap in a cage fight at Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth Stadium, her first ever professional MMA (mixed martial arts) bout after years of amateur clashes. That landmark event was a turning point for the then 24-year-old, but not in the way you might expect. “Although I won, I felt like I had lost. Mentally and emotionally, I was in such a weird place,” says Carder, a Hong Kong native, explaining that the stress of juggling the demands of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2111959/how-hong-kong-ex-mma-fighter-kimberly-carder-helping-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2111959/how-hong-kong-ex-mma-fighter-kimberly-carder-helping-women?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Sep 2017 09:15:15 +0000 How far would you be willing to go to “perfect” your physique? To push it past what’s generally accepted to one that’s anatomically freakish? Rich Piana tried to reach the limits of physical “perfection”, transforming himself from an average bodybuilder to one whose monstrous proportions were attained by few. “Massive” doesn’t suffice to describe him at 185cm tall and 140kg (309 pounds). Unfortunately, he didn’t live very long to admire himself in the mirror. Last month, Piana died in Florida... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2110424/how-late-bodybuilding-star-rich-piana-paid-ultimate-price-pursuit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2110424/how-late-bodybuilding-star-rich-piana-paid-ultimate-price-pursuit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2017 04:45:15 +0000 High performance athletes need more protein than the average person, and they tout this as a reason for eating meat and avoiding vegan meals. But Richie Kul, male model and tennis player, says that since changing to veganism he has noticed an improvement in his recovery time. “I immediately started feeling better. I started healing quicker after matches and training. I also used to suffer from acne, but it cleared up dramatically” Kul said. Kul puts the change down to the lack of dairy products... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2104876/high-performance-athletes-shy-away-veganism-fear-low-protein?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2104876/high-performance-athletes-shy-away-veganism-fear-low-protein?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2017 03:30:30 +0000 Skin rashes, eye infections and other waterborne aliments are hazards water sportspeople face every time they take to the sea. “It is currently just something you have to accept if you want to be in and on the water in Hong Kong,” John McLennan, team captain of the men’s outrigging team at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), told the Post. Pollution and plastic waste is the cause of the aliments, claimed McLennan. As a result, he is helping organise a clean up on Saturday. RHKYC outriggers,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2097251/hong-kong-water-sportspersons-called-clean-plastic-pollution-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2097251/hong-kong-water-sportspersons-called-clean-plastic-pollution-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jun 2017 04:30:00 +0000 A newly established gym chain has quietly rented seven premises previously occupied by the shuttered California Fitness, with the first to open in Hung Hom next month. Goji Studios, owned by a local consortium led by financial services firm Opus, was offered significant rent discounts after the seven prime locations had been left vacant for 10 months, the Post has learned. Unlike California Fitness, whose members paid multiple years of membership fees in advance, Goji charges on a monthly basis... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2089938/former-hong-kong-rugby-star-ricky-cheuk-run-new-fitness-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2089938/former-hong-kong-rugby-star-ricky-cheuk-run-new-fitness-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2017 03:00:45 +0000 Trail running has exploded in popularity in Hong Kong in recent years. If you wanted to try the sport, how would you begin? The Post spoke to top overseas and local runners who have made the switch from road running to trail running. Here are seven factors to consider before lacing up for your first off-road event. 1. Just get out there “One of the biggest things is just getting out on the trails and practising the hills,” says Sage Canaday, an elite US trail runner who came third at the Vibram... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2067508/how-make-switch-road-running-hong-kongs-challenging-trails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2067508/how-make-switch-road-running-hong-kongs-challenging-trails?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Feb 2017 04:00:30 +0000 A group of entrepreneurs want to introduce an inexpensive but organic additive to the plastic used in Hong Kong which they claim will slash the time it takes for the waste to biodegrade in landfills. And café chain Pacific Coffee may be their first major client. About a fifth of all Hong Kong’s municipal solid waste sent to landfill is plastic, the second biggest portion after food. Most of it is disposable cutlery, packaging, toys, bags and bottles. “Almost every week I read about problems... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2051972/new-technology-could-help-break-down-citys-plastic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2051972/new-technology-could-help-break-down-citys-plastic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Dec 2016 01:00:45 +0000 “If exercise could be packed into a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation,” said the late Dr. Robert Butler, former director of the US National Institute on Ageing. Alas, we all know that getting a dose of exercise is not as simple as just swallowing a pill – but there are ways to incorporate physical activity more easily into our daily lives. The University of Hong Kong’s recent Exercise is Medicine (EIM) Month is a great example. For almost... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2042678/university-hong-kong-fitness-month-aimed-showing-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2042678/university-hong-kong-fitness-month-aimed-showing-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Nov 2016 04:30:45 +0000 Vegans Stevie Go and Carrie Chan will probably never eat meat again, but that doesn’t mean they will force others to do the same. The couple, who met on dating app Tinder just under two years ago, are two of the main organisers of Meat Free Hong Kong, a society promoting the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets. The group meets every week at one of the city’s 200 vegetarian restaurants, but those who come along do not have to live completely meat-free lifestyles. Go, a 50-year-old retired... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2024060/no-meat-and-greet-hong-kong-vegetarian-and-vegan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2024060/no-meat-and-greet-hong-kong-vegetarian-and-vegan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Oct 2016 06:00:15 +0000 Three months ago, we took three out-of-shape Hongkongers and challenged them to a 12-week personalised fitness and diet regimen guided by personal trainers from local boutique gym Topfit. Officially the #TopfitMorning Challenge involved three personal training sessions a week, but every challenger stepped up with additional workouts on their own. Seven exercises to give you a sexy butt and stronger core, by a Hong Kong personal trainer Three months on, they have all made dramatic transformations... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1945580/how-three-hongkongers-were-transformed-12-week-intensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1945580/how-three-hongkongers-were-transformed-12-week-intensive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 May 2016 04:45:30 +0000 Across the lush green slopes of Tai Lam Country Park that defines the skyline of the western New Territories runs an ancient trail that was once the main access route between Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan. In the old days, villagers of Shap Pat Heung used to hike with their farm produce over the mountains to Tsuen Wan Market to trade for daily necessities. The Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail, which is about 13km long, is now frequented by hikers, but these days it looks more like an urban pavement than a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1927011/hong-kong-runners-and-hikers-hit-out-growing-concreting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1927011/hong-kong-runners-and-hikers-hit-out-growing-concreting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:00:45 +0000