FIT & WELL

01 Jul

Posted by admin as IN BRIEF

WORK out, WIND down

Ways and means to keep fit and well, from core strengthening to pouch-pummelling, by JUDY CHAPMAN

CORE STRENGTH

Resistance training such as yoga and pilates strengthens your core and mobility, as well as keeping your metabolic rate up for at least 48 hours (compared to just six to eight hours after jogging or intensive cardio).Little wonder urban hotels are adding these limber-enhancing exercises to their wellness regimens

Bangkok

Yoga is at the heart of The Metropolitan, a ‘holistic’ urban hotel that offers all the right components for overnight stays, many of which motivate its guests to depart more rejuvenated than when they arrived. Complimentary classes (pictured right) are available to in-house guests only, but why not book a classic Thai massage (the lazy man’s yoga) at the Shambhala Spa to deepen your stretch and flexibility? Afterwards, head to health cafe Glow for energising tonics and delicious spa cuisine. 27 South Sathorn Road, tel: +66 (0) 2625 3333, www.metropolitan.como.bz/ bangkok/ default.asp

Hong Kong

Creators of the wellness floor at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental (pictured above) knew back in 2005 that balance-focused exercises would be the new trend. Which is why they offer a fully equipped pilates studio, considered the most comprehensive in town, and a yoga studio, both of which are open to non-guests. Says pilates instructor Meela: “Our mind and body receives the finest instructions for coordinating flowing movement, breath and awareness through pilates and yoga.” The hotel also houses a Technogym and seven life fitness stations. 15 Queen’s Road Central, tel: +852 2132 0011, www.mandarinoriental.com/landmark

Shanghai

Shanghai’s yoga community can be found at Y +, a boutique studio in the French Concession district. Inside this four-storey colonial building, dark wooden floors and sliding Chinoiserie screens create an intimate atmosphere. Classes run until late, negating any “I’m working late” excuses. Styles include yin, hot, ashtanga, power, pranayama and partner yoga. Says visiting yoga master, Jhon Tamayo: “Yoga is the strength to one’s inner core, which is the foundation of one’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual present self.” 2 Fuxing Road, tel: +86 (21) 6340 6161, www.yplus.com.cn

Singapore

Newly opened boutique Naumi hotel suits those who appreciate wellness hospitality. There’s a yoga room open 24/7, plus a Technogym for maintaining core strength and muscle tone. Says Adeline Quek, marketing manager for the super-slow strengthening kit: “This is the chosen equipment for the 2008 Olympics, but it also suits the needs of execs on the move.” 41 Seah Street, tel: +65 6403 6000, www..naumihotel.com

H IS FOR HERBAL POULTICE

You can’t but fall in love with these little bundles of heated herbs that are pounded upon your body to soothe muscle tension and computer stress. Better than a hot stone, the sensation of warm crushed lemongrass and camphor wrapped in cloth pressed along your spine and neck will leave you begging for more. For an affordable but deeply therapeutic session, drop by SUK SPA, located in an old Bangkok house (www..sukspa.com) where poultices are steamed in lemongrass and mint water. An Ayurvedic variety can be experienced at The Marriott Hotel Mumbai’s Quan Spa (www.marriott. com). During their “Spice Bundle Massage”, two therapists perform a medicated oil massage with poultices filled with local spices and herbs. And in Kuala Lumpur’s Spa Village Ritz Carlton (www.ritzcarlton. com), the “Campur-Campur” is made from fragrant lemongrass and pandan leaf.

GOLF, VIRTUALLY

For those who would love to golf on world-class “courses” in air-conditioned comfort with no walking nor fear of rain delays, Singapore’s Urban Fairways and its generation-next Full Swing Golf Simulator welcomes you. An in-house PGA golf professional is on hand to help you negotiate one of the 52 virtual courses available. Between shots, gorge on Italian food, catch up on golf news on the large-screen TV and enjoy a glass of wine. Client meetings and events can also be held here. Prices start at US$90 per hour (guests generally stay for three hours).
Open from 7am to 1am. 27 Club Street, Singapore, tel: +65 6438 2513, www.urbanfairways.com

KEEP IT COMPACT

Australia’s Compact Cosmetics’ comfort kit of essential grooming items – available in a male and female range – complies with new travel regulations which limit the size and packaging of liquids, aerosols and gels on flights into and out of Australia. “The idea was conceived when I witnessed the confusion at airports when the new government laws came into effect last year,” says Kathryn Poulos, director of Compact Cosmetics. “The products we have chosen are ideal for short-stay destinations, airport delays and stopovers.”

The kit retails for US$24 and is currently available at Brisbane and Melbourne airports, or by dialling 13 000 COMPACT from anywhere in Australia.

WALK This Way

Sabina-Leah Fernandez takes us on an after-work loop of Singapore’s colonial civic district
PHOTOS: THE FULLERTON; SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD

1 Start out at the Singapore Art Museum on Bras Basah Road, a striking colonial building that was converted from a boys school to a gallery in the 1990s. It’s now home to the world’s largest public collection of South-East Asian art.

2 Head down Bras Basah Road and look to your right to see the gothic steeple of Chijmes. This former convent school and orphanage is now a mix of bars, restaurants and shops. Linger at the poignant Gate of Hope – a doorway where many a 19th- and 20th-century infant was abandoned to the nuns’ care.

3 Turn right into North Bridge Road towards St Andrew’s Cathedral, a grand white church that was destroyed by a lightning strike before being rebuilt in 1856. Continue to Coleman Street and turn left. Look up to your right to gawp at Norman Foster’s UFO-shaped Supreme Court building.

4 Follow Coleman Street to the expanse of green that is the Padang. Flanked by stunning buildings from a bygone era, such as the Singapore Cricket Club and the old Supreme Court (where the World War II surrender document was signed), this is the field where a victory parade celebrated the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945. Today the battles forged here are more civilised: cricket, football and rugby matches.

5 Turn right and skirt the City Hall to ?nd Empress Place, home to the Victoria Theatre, Victoria Concert Hall, Old Parliament House and the Asian Civilisations Museum. Reinvented as a centre for the arts, this cluster of stately white buildings showcase theatre, symphony concerts and fashion shows in the hall where Parliament once sat.

6 While here, consider stopping for a drink or elegant riverside dinner at IndoChine Waterfront. Then sashay across the lawn towards the Singapore River, pausing to admire the grand Fullerton Hotel, a former post office and now “six-star” hotel and glinting gem of the riverfront.

7 Cross Singapore’s oldest suspension bridge and look for the delightful bronze statues of young boys leaping into the water by Singaporean/Canadian artist Chong Fah Cheong.

8 Catch a bumboat here for an up-close view of Boat Quay’s shophouses and the CBD’s towering skyscrapers. At this point, a nightcap is highly recommended; try Le Noir, where the city’s young, bold and beautiful hobnob over cocktails around the all-black indoor bar.