Tag Archives: fitness

Top 6 Hiking Trails in Hong Kong

hiking hong kong

When most people think of Hong Kong their minds tend to drift towards crowded sidewalks, soaring skyscrapers, designer shopping centres and astonishing luxury stores, but there is another side to this city. A cursory glance at a map shows that great swathes of the territory are open space to explore. In fact, 40 percent of Hong Kong’s land mass is protected, which means there is a wealth of tree lined plains, woods, mountains, wetlands and beaches to explore. With the health benefits of hiking including reduced risk of heart disease, lower risk of blood pressure, lower risk of colon and breast cancer, reduced depression and better quality sleep, there’s no reason not to get out there and tackle one of Hong Kong’s many hiking trails. We count down six of the best trails. Continue Reading…

Calling All Couch Potatoes! 5 Surprising Benefits of Football

football

The biggest tournament in the world’s most popular sport has finally arrived. The build-up to the World Cup finals in Brazil has been dogged by controversy and protests, but now that the tournament is finally underway, billions of people are tuning in each day and night to watch football’s biggest stars do battle for the coveted crown of world champions. With three games each day for the next two weeks or so, it is an ideal time to be a lazy armchair football fan. Or is it?

As we all know, lounging around the living room every evening and watching TV is not exactly conducive to a healthy lifestyle, so we tip our hat to those who are currently feeling the urge to blow the dust off their football boots and go out for a kick-around. Football offers many health benefits, and here are five that may surprise you. Continue Reading…

A Beginners Guide to Hiking: Lessons Learnt by a First Time Trekker Traversing the Himalayas

hiking himalayas

Our very own Luke James takes in the view

Expertise in anything is gained slowly; eked out from years of practice and experience before one achieves eventual mastery of a chosen discipline. Dedication to the perfection of a craft affords one a degree of authority, the ability to bestow knowledge on others based on lessons learned over the years.

The information contained here does not come from this type of authority. I am no expert at hiking. In fact, hoisting my flabby haunches from the couch to grab some food from the fridge was what I previously considered a workout. This guide instead comes from jumping headfirst into an endeavour far beyond my physical limits and capabilities, and surviving to reflect on what I could have done to make things easier. This advice comes from lessons learnt the hard way, the painful way, and is offered so that you don’t need to repeat the same mistakes I did when your start to hike. Continue Reading…

To App or Not To App: the Problem with Relying on Mobile Fitness Apps

health apps

Apple’s App Store has tens of thousands of health and fitness apps for sale, many of which are also designed to sync up with fitness wearables like Jawbone or the FitBit. There are apps to track diet, apps to track blood pressure, apps to prepare you for a marathon and apps to help you lose weight.

The big question is this: does more data help people lose weight and stay healthy? Overwhelmingly, the answer is no. A study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that most mobile health and fitness apps fall short when it comes to creating lasting change. Even an old-school food journal is more effective 95 percent of the time. Continue Reading…

8 Things That Make CrossFit Different from Your Local Gym

crossfit

CrossFit is hardcore. Some articles will want to convince you that it’s flexible and that everyone can enjoy it, but let’s face it, not everyone enjoys doing push-ups to the point of vomiting. CrossFit is not for the feint of heart. To put it into perspective, the Canadian Forces actually use this in their military training. And those Canadians are a pretty tough breed.

In a nutshell, CrossFit is a branded type of exercise (like Zumba or Nia) that focuses on core strength and conditioning, hitting all 10 major fitness domains: stamina, strength, flexibility, speed, coordination, power, agility, balance, accuracy, cardiovascular and respiratory endurance.

This is truly an exercise for elite athletes, policemen, firefighters and military men. Because it focuses on toning and conditioning, CrossFitters don’t end up bulky like heavyweight champions, which is important for many women who want to do intense fitness training. (Testosterone is what makes bodybuilders bulky, and women just don’t have the genetic profile to add that much muscle.)

It’s not for everyone, but those who love it are crazy for it. Here’s a little of what makes this new sport so special: Continue Reading…

The Top 10 Health and Fitness Gifts This Holiday Season

presents

There are few places on earth that come close to the chaos of a mall in the final days before Christmas. Droves of sweaty shoppers, dizzying lights and overflowing car parks, all set to the inescapably cheery drone of endless Christmas carols. It’s enough to suck any enjoyment out of the festive period and to test both your sanity and resolve. But it doesn’t need to be that way.

Does your best friend spend all her time in spin classes? Got a family member looking to take on a half marathon, or maybe a colleague swept up in the CrossFit revolution? Make holiday shopping effortless with our compilation of the Top 10 Coolest Health and Fitness Gadget Gifts: Continue Reading…

Wolverine Is Back and Looking Young As Ever. How Does He Do It?

the wolverine
The Wolverine, part six of the X-Men film series, has just been released in the U.S. and fans are eager to learn what happens in the next installment of this cult classic. Actor Hugh Jackman reprises the role of lead character Wolverine as he continues to battle his inner demons, the downside to immortality, and not forgetting his part in the eternal conflict between the mutant forces of good and evil. Continue Reading…

How to Out-Health Your Heroes: Be Fitter, Stronger and Tougher Than Iron Man

 

 

iron man

With the third film in the Iron Man franchise out this week, there seems to be no stopping Marvel’s ubiquitous cast of superheroes in their many missions to rid the world of evil. However strong, muscular and generally faultless they seem, though, every superhero of course needs a weakness – were they completely infallible, the team would solve world crises in minutes. This guide will demonstrate the chinks in these heroes’ proverbial – and real – suits of armour, and demonstrate a few basic tips as to how any ordinary civilian can be healthier than even these Marvel monoliths.

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Great (And Free!) Health Apps for Android

Kwiksurance reviews the best Android apps for health and fitness

android apps

With Android devices outselling their Apple competitors, the once-ignored open source operating system is now the top smartphone operating platform, and the number of high quality, free apps available through Google Play’s Android app store and from independent developers reflects this fact.

With user interfaces and fit and finish finally rivaling the iProduct line, many of the most popular health, fitness and wellness apps that were previously only offered for Apple are now available for Android, often with even better features. So, if you have a new Android phone or tablet, stick a few healthy apps on your device to make yourself healthier and more productive.
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