Coming just out of the Asia Wellness Summit held this past Saturday, I was prompted numerous times about the state-of-affairs on the gym scene here in Shanghai. People in general seem to have similar feedback when talking about the big box commercial gyms. Since, I also used to train out of these gyms (prior to opening Olive Branch), I not only understand but have witnessed these grievances in the gym. So here is a
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Today’s blog post is dedicated to an avid reader of my blog who wants to know how to minimize the risk of injury while working out without a trainer to supervise. This is a great question to ask and I love it when my readers are keen to learn more on fitness and nutrition. For the remainder of this blog post, I will refer to exercise as physical activities that enhance your fitness - this
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Hey guys, I’ll be writing a new line of blog posts called: “Misconceptions in Exercise & Nutrition”. They will be shorter in nature and are aimed at debunking the misconceptions about fitness and nutrition that are widespread in the media and society. The first one in this series is the common belief that you have to sweat a lot to get a superior workout. Now if you are
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For this post on my new ‘Misconceptions’ blogging thread, is the misconception that if someone is not fat, then they are completely fine and healthy and can eat whatever they want. This is a particularly dangerous misconception because it is counter-intuitive and misleads a lot of people into living a dangerous lifestyle because their body doesn’t give them any negative feedback. When many people eat poorly and don’t
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it's easier than you think... I'll be honest with you. This week is vacation week, so I'm rushing through this blog post so I can jump into the sea by a gorgeous beach that I'm currently lying on. So in the spirit of things this week's post will be on exercising on vacation. First off, vacations can be absolutely great for your health. The effect of bringing
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When the pain comes, do you step on the brakes or do you step on the gas? Sometimes, high intensity training sucks. I’m the first to admit the fact that it is definitely not one of the most enjoyable forms of exercise. For the majority of the time, you are in a miserable state. Your muscles are aching, trembling or cramping up from fatigue. Your skin is wet, clammy and stinking
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I bet you're not sleeping enough. We should be sleeping a lot more than what most of us average - especially for us Shanghai-ers who often work (too) hard and play (too) hard. Add to the fact that we don't exercise enough and we don't always eat well, and drink too much (fake alcohol) - sounds like a recipe for disaster. You can only burn both ends of the candle for so long... According to the National Sleep Foundation,
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"I need to exercise more..." What is exercise? Might seem like a no brainer, but the answer is less straightforward than you might think... As a fitness consultant, I find that words like "exercise" are used to mean different things by different people. Another example of this the phrase ‘getting back into shape’. Depending on the person, this could mean either building muscle mass, burning fat or increasing physical performance at a specific activity like
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5 things you may not know about coffee Coffee: is it good or bad for you? The answer is not straightforward; after all, caffeine is a psychological stimulant with a mix of effects on the body. Most people are familiar with the common effects: increased alertness; a temporary energy boost; and, if consumed in excess: “the jitters”; heart palpitations; feelings of anxiety. Based on current medical research, the bottom line is that coffee is basically
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During my holidays in Hong Kong, I’ve met up with friends, family - people. Like Shanghai, it is a bustling city with tons of opportunities and innovation going on. While meeting up with people that I haven’t seen in a while, including my family from Canada, I noticed a slight trend. As I get older and older, which is an inevitable process that we all share, I will continue to hear and experience more tales
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