[Cousteau83]

Hey Everyone,

I'll be moving to hong kong in April and I've been trying to figure our where/how I'm going to stay in shape while in Hong Kong. First off, I apologize if this is a topic that has plenty of threads dedicated to it already, but most of the ones I've looked at seem to be a bit outdated. So my main concerns are:

1. Gym - Thus far from what I've looked at, it seems like Pure may be my best option especially because I have some interest in doing yoga as well. I've also been boxing for the past few months which is another route I could go. I contacted Pure and they got back to me with the following prices for the all clubs membership:

# 12 Month Commitment: Joining fee $999 and the monthly payment is $1099 (HSBC Credit Card Holders will enjoy half price on the joining and the 13th month will be free).
# Month to Month Membership: Joining fee $999 and the monthly payment is $1399.

I'd probably take the month to month memberhip since i'll be traveling out of hong kong every few months for a month at a time.

How do these prices look to you?
Is pure fitness + yoga worth it?
Do you have any other gym recommendations (Other than California)?
How do their prices compare?

2. Eating right - I visited Hong Kong for a week during chinese new year and found that the food (at least that which I ate) was a bit greasier than I would expect. Since I'll be living in a serviced apartment it may be tough to do a lot of healthy cooking.

What are your experiences in eating healthy while in hong kong?
Any tips in doing this while living in a serviced apartment?
Recommended restaurants?
Recommended grocery stores?

Thanks for any advice you can give...

[Alby]

1. Gym I use Physical as I too tend to travel a lot found Physical to be reasonable priced and convenient .... not as nice as Pure but the price was good for what I was looking for. Some people had warned me that I may have difficulty getting on the equipment but I have never had a problem and tend to go during peak times frequently.

2. Yoga I go to Iyengar Yoga Centre Hong Kong which allows me to make a reservation on line at: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/default.asp
It is about HK150 per session (I could be off a bit on the price)

Eating healthy I find is easier here than overseas .... I tend to get fresh veggie's & fruits almost daily at the wet market when I am in town. I have some friends who have organic veg&fruits delivered to their house. Living in a service apartment will you have a kitchenette?

Several grocery stores like City Super and TASTE have pre-made salads and food.

Keeping starches to a minimum is key like rice, noodles and beer the three together are a bad combination.

[mckpoon]

1.
those fees are ridiculous, but i don't need much to keep me happy. i pay about 474$ for Fitness First, and it suits my purpose just fine.

for yoga, i used to be with Bikram (before they suddenly disappeared) which I was rather happy with, as the yoga sessions in the gym aren't as specialised.


2.
i was under the impression that a serviced apartment had its own stovetop, so healthy cooking shouldn't be an issue. i find its more about buying your own fresh food from the markets than succumbing to eating out, although there are alot of options out there. if you have a particular diet, it makes things a bit difficult - i avoid meat but eat seafood, so i'm getting by quite fine.

for a Westernised-ideal of healthy eating, there's threesixty for groceries, as well as numerous organic food shops scattered around (sorry i don't have the link). restaurants include Life cafe, Munch, Graze, etc. it comes with its prices though.

for local foods, you could just stick to steamed/boiled preparations. even though i don't believe in white rice, i can't get away from it here. oh, and SUSHI!


but it's not an easy place to stay in shape here... but only because there's so many affordable yummy things around.


i'm going to stop rambling now.

[shilo507]

Those gym prices are crazy. Never accept what they offer you and make out to walk away.

If they really want your memembership they will waive the joining fee. I pay HKD 300 a month at California Fitness and had the joining fee waived after walking out twice only to have them call me back. If you can, try to get an existing member to introduce you to a gym as it may be at a preferential rate. 12-18 month commitment is normal.

Just watch out for the hard-sell. They are always trying to get you to take on a personal trainer, but their food supplements etc. Learn to say no and mean it!

I lived in a serviced apartment for 5 months but found cooking to be a pain as the area was too small and cooking smells lingered. Make surer your apartment has a separate kitchen sink for washing dishes then it is ok. Some of them only have a bathroom sink and this is just too cumbersome and not hygenic. When i first came here (in summer) it was so hot I did not want to eat and when I did I found it easier and cheaper to eat out. Healthy food options are everywhere.

I am sure you will enjoy your time in HK!

[Cousteau83]

Hey, thanks for everyone who replied!

As an update, I've been HK for 2 weeks now and seem to have gotten into a fairly healthy routine. I've been able to do some form of work out 6 days a week. I started out just swimming everyday at the Morrison Hill public swimming pool which is just down the block from where I live. Now I do that every other day and lift at the Physical gym.

Due to my special circumstances of being in HK 2 months out of every 3, Physical seems to be perfect. They have a 700HKD/month deal where you sign no contract...or pay a startup fee. Just pay each month that you're going to work out there. The gym has everything I need...in my opinion well kept and staffed. The sauna and showers are great. I really couldn't ask for anything more.

As for the food...theres a pretty good Japanese health food place "Bento Express" or something like that....they make a mean bbq chicken, rice, and vegetables plate. I've also started getting bananas in the morning at the wet market right below my apartment to add to the "milk & oats" dish that I get some mornings....it brings laughs but tastes oh so good.

Cooking in my serviced apartment looks like its going to be out of the question....due to the hours I work and how tiny it is.

Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I still haven't found a convenient yoga spot.