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Header image courtesy of F45
Running may be a great way to lose weight and improve your cardiovascular health but that doesn’t make it less tiresome, repetitive, and uncomfortable. With new workout studios opening in Hong Kong every month, there’s no excuse for you to ditch exercise completely. From boxing
classes, dance-inspired
workouts, to flexibility training, we have compiled a list of top exercise classes for people who hate running.
With eight branch locations scattered around Hong Kong, it’s likely you’ve seen or heard about F45. Specialising in cardio, resistance, hybrid, and recovery training, F45 rotates between 45 different workouts, each lasting 45 minutes, and can burn up to 600 calories per session. Our favourites, however, are the hybrid classes, where you’ll find 23 unique workouts, each one testing a mixture of cardio, core strength, and functional resistance, allowing for a rounded training and full body workout. If you’re unsure whether this training system is the right fit for you, you can opt for a free 14-day trial at any of the studios in the city before committing to a membership plan.
Looking for sculpted legs, a leaner body, and better posture? Try barre, a form of exercise that combines ballet, yoga, Pilates, and strength training. WeBarre offers one of the best barre classes in Hong Kong thanks to its attentive staff and passionate instructors. Its signature multi-levels class is not one to be underestimated—you have to master both isometric holds and full-body dynamic movements, which train your core, balance, as well as your flexibility. If you want to stay in shape after birth, you can also consider its Mums & Bubs class, which helps to strengthen your pelvic floor and core muscles, all while bonding with your baby.
If you find it hard to touch your toes, there’s no doubt you’ll find the Contortion Introductory course at Aerial Arts Academy challenging. Designed to accommodate even the stiffest of joints, this class provides guided tutoring that focuses on improving flexibility in the hips, back, shoulders, and legs, as well as strengthening your core, training you for more advanced contortion moves.
Rope-skipping isn’t only for kids. Learn how to skip like a pro and pick up cool tricks and skills at the Hong Kong Institute of Rope Skipping. Don’t worry if you have two left feet; the adult class is suited for beginners, and you’ll tackle coordination and muscle activation with the instructors. After you get the hang of things, you could move on to more advanced jump-roping in the Jump Rope Tricks class, or introduce your kids to the Parent-Child Jump Rope class. Contact the team behind HKIRC for more information here.
Hong Kong Institute of Rope Skipping, Unit 1203, Vogue Centre, 696 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan | (+852) 6652 0722
Got no dancing bone in your body? Anyone can become a dancer (and a strong one at that) at XP Fitness Hub’s Piloxing Knockout class—a plyometrics, sports conditioning, and functional training class that combines elements of boxing and dance. You’ll be dancing, punching, and doing other workout moves to the beat, all while wearing weighted gloves, creating a sense of physical and mental balance. The energetic workout encourages students to unleash pressure through punches and shouts—a perfect way to feel refreshed after a stressful workweek.
XP Fitness Hub, 4/F, Li Dong Building, 9 Li Yuen Street East, Central | (+852) 2951 9178
Climb like a monkey at Verm City, where classes or workshops are on offer for both young and old! Members or day-pass users can enjoy free bouldering workshops from Verm City’s own team of rock-climbing experts, and members can gradually build up their rock-climbing skills by tackling different levels. If your child is aged between seven and 12 years old, consider signing them up to the Kids Climbing School, where kids can work their way up from the basic vertical walls to the cave, overhang, and even slabs. Check its social media for more information on workshop and lesson schedules.
Verm City, 4/F, Kodak House 1, 321 Java Road, Quarry Bay | (+852) 2569 8128
Good news for all the snowboarding enthusiasts out there: You no longer have to wait till the next ski trip to get your fix! Ski and snowboard indoors on the world’s largest revolving-carpet training deck at Slope 8 right here in Hong Kong. Snowboarding is a great form of cardio, training your core strength, balance, and your full-body muscles as you try not to topple over while you careen down the slope. If you’re new to the snowboarding scene, consider joining its novice classes, where you get taught the basics of how not to embarrass yourself when you actually go snowboarding with friends and family while on holiday.
Slope 8, 1/F, 148 Electric Road, North Point | (+852) 2107 4567
Are you curious about what it feels like to fly, but can’t gather the courage to go bungee-jumping? BungeeWorkout provides an alternative for its members who want to glide through the air. Its BungeeWork course is inspired by the bungee-jump experience, and incorporates bungee steps, elements of dance, and, of course, a full body cardio workout. There’s also a BungeeWorkout kids’ course, so you can bring along your young ones on this bouncy workout.
BungeeWorkout Hong Kong, Room 8, 3/F, Block B, Hoplite Industrial Building, 3–5 Wang Tai Road, Kowloon Bay
While dance workouts are unique and fun, it’s easy to feel embarrassed or self-conscious, especially if you aren’t as coordinated as the other dancers in the class. No Lights No Lycra Hong Kong’s Dance in the Dark activity gives its students the ability to dance with the lights off, while working out their entire body as they follow the dance instructors’ guided movements. There isn’t a fixed schedule for this class, so make sure to check this Facebook page for information on when the next dance session is happening!
No Lights No Lycra Hong Kong, Hong Kong iMusic Academy, G03, 33 Marble Road, North Point
Rather than a fast-paced workout typical of most fitness programmes, the Arm Balances and Inversion class at XYZ focuses on training both your mind and body at a slower pace. Held in the candle-lit Cocoon room, participants can enter a calmer and more mindful headspace as they explore various inversions, such as headstands, handstands, and forearm stands. These exercises can help to improve your circulation, core strength, as well as your ability to focus. Very mindful, very demure indeed.
XYZ, 12/F, China Building, 29 Queen’s Road Central, Central | (+852) 2865 0999
First published on 23 July 2019. Written by Doris Lam. Last updated by Punita Chan.
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