The Numbers Game

Health & Beauty
FIT AND FLY
Edited by Evelyn Lok
evelyn.lok@hkmagmedia.com
Last
Minute
Lift
Junk and beach season is officially upon us,
and if you were smart and super organized
you would have been abs deep into your new
workout regime since January. For all you last
minute scramblers, here are a few ways to help
slim down and tone up—or at least feel less
guilty about all those beers and chips you’re
about to consume...
What You Seek is Seeking You…
…And if what you’re seeking is eco-conscious yoga
performance wear, you’re in luck: Hong Kong based
activewear brand Rumi X has recently introduced
its new collection of sports bras and workout tops.
They’re actually made from coffee grounds, which
boast capabilities such as odor control, fast drying
and cooling, and UV protection. If you need an extra
kick to go to the gym, getting decked out in cute
patterns and colors are sure to give you that zap
of energy. And if not, maybe there’s a bit of caffeine
left in that coffee…
Tops from $320, rumixfeelgood.com
Snack Wars
We snack a whole lot
in our office, as I’m
sure any brain-tired
office drone is wont
to do at 4pm on
a Wednesday. I’m
sheepishly glancing at the
pack of Pepperidge Farm cookies on
my desk right now, but there are plenty of healthier
alternatives in Hong Kong nowadays: especially ones
that deliver straight to your desk or home. We tried
two such services in the office recently: Chewswize
(chewswize.com; $44 for first box, $88 thereafter)
delivers weekly customized sets of portion-controlled
snacks depending on your preferences and needs, all
of which are free of preservatives and additives. Best
of all, it’s health food that doesn’t try to deceive you
into thinking that it’s something it’s not: You just get
wholesome, natural snacks. We loved the “Bananas
on Fire” spicy banana chips, as well as the moreish
parmesan popcorn bites.
Hit and Run
Everybody raves about high intensity interval training nowadays, and
new-to-town indoor bootcamp studio HIT45 is here to make sure that
turning your body into a metabolic furnace is simple and commitmentfree:
With no membership fees, you just drop in for a 45-minute session
that combines cardio, free weights and bodyweight exercises, which
help blast off that fat and build strength. The studio also boasts eight
environmentally friendly curved treadmills that rely on your own power
to run, which claims to help you burn 30 percent more calories, and is
meant to be better on your joints. First timers can try out two sessions
for the price of one ($270), and LA celebrity trainer Carmela Mondello
is in town to teach a few exclusive sessions until Jun 12.
Five-session package $1,250; 10 sessions $2,200. 1/F Abdoolally
House, 20 Stanley St., Central, 9326-5379, hit45hk.com
If you’re more of a substantial snacker, Guilt Free
Food (guiltfreefood.com.hk) might be more up your
alley. Guilt Free’s snacks are aimed to be brain and
body fuel, themed around protein or energy ($79
for a box, $790 for 10-box subscription), making
them lifesavers for hunger pangs between meals or
especially during late nights at work: The Power box is
paleo friendly, with packs of fruit, almonds, olives and
a surprisingly tasty tomato chicken dish. The Thrive
box is vegan friendly, with plenty of fruit and nuts and
greens. We weren’t too convinced by the freshness
of the fruit, but for clean snacking and
convenience, Guilt Free Food does
what it says on the tin.
Ice Queen
Have you ever dreamed of getting cryogenically preserved
so you can wake up a century later as your youthful self?
Too bad science hasn’t exactly caught up to that point
yet, but perhaps you can seek out the fountain of youth
at Hong Kong’s first and only cryotherapy center, Polaris
Wellness, which uses the power of sub-zero temperatures
for treatments and facials. I got the chance to try a full body
cryotherapy session: which entails you standing for three
minutes butt-naked in a -130 °C nitrogen gas fridge. None
of Hong Kong’s arctic shopping mall temperatures could
prepare me for the intense piercing cold—like sharp pins
and needles all over my body. But the therapist was very
uplifting, taking my mind off the excruciating three minutes.
The feeling after you hobble out of the machine to thaw is
the best, as your blood circulation rapidly increases to warm
yourself and your body creates feel-good endorphins and
extra collagen for a smoother, firmer appearance. The feeling
that you’ve conquered an ice cap definitely gets addictive...
Single session $900 ($550-810 with membership). Cryofacials
and localized cryotherapy also available. 10/F, Lee Theatre
Plaza, 99 Percival St., Causeway Bay, 2446-6163,
polaris-wellness.com
Snack on some Guilt Free grub
Ice to see you at Polaris