Sick of expensive exercise progammes that seem to have you spend a dollar per calorie burned? Here are our budget exercise hacks to get you into shape for the summer while keeping your wallet nice and curvy:
1. Hiking
Challenge your stamina on the MacLehose or Wilson Trails, or choose from Sharp Peak, Lantau Peak and Tai Mo Shan to get those thighs burning. Alternatively, commit to walking to or from work every day, working your upper body as you elbow your way through crowds of commuters and shield your head from dripping air-cons…
Calories burnt: 200 for an hour’s leisurely walk, 1000+ for a day hike on hilly terrain
Muscles worked: Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, core, hips and legs
Cost: Public transportation fare
2. Yoga
Get your downward-facing dog on at free weekly events hosted by Pay What You Wish Yoga HK, Lululemon and Yor Funcamps & Yoga. If you practice in July and August, Mother Nature will even turn your session into Bikram yoga (a.k.a. “hot yoga”) for free! Sweat! Yay! (Psst: Yoga may even help relieve asthma symptoms!)
Calories burnt: 200 calories per hour
Muscles worked: All major muscle groups
Cost: Free!
3. Swimming
Admission fees at Hong Kong’s fantastic public swimming pools cost HKD17 on weekdays or HKD19 on weekends and public holidays. Or, make like a pink dolphin and splash around on Hong Kong Island’s southside, in Sai Kung or on Lantau. Struggling for time? Take some advice from CY Leung and take a dip in the harbour on your lunchbreak!
Calories burnt: 500 calories per hour
Muscles worked: Glutes, pecs, arms, legs
Cost: HKD17-19
4. Cycling
Feel the wind in your hair and the bugs in your eyes as you cycle around Sha Tin, Tai Po, or Tseung Kwan O on a rented bike. They cost anywhere between HKD30 to HKD90 for the day, depending on whether you go on a weekend or public holiday, and whether you’re any good at haggling.
Calories burnt: 650 calories per hour
Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, calves
Cost: HKD30-90
5. Tai Chi
Make like Popo and Yeye by joining a local tai chi group that practices in a public space. Added entertainment can be found in playing the fun game of “But who is the leader?”
Calories burnt: 200 calories per hour.
Muscles worked: All muscle groups, but with less intensity, improving balance, flexibility and stamina.
Cost: Free! (But you should probably treat some of your tai chi mates to dim sum.)
6. Running
From the Quarry Bay and Hung Hom promenades to the Peak circuit, Hong Kong has more than a few scenic running routes that easily beat the monotone of jogging to nowhere on a treadmill. Join a running group for an extra shot of motivation, such as the Harbour Runners and Hong Kong Trail Runners, or look out for events on HKRunners.com.
Calories burnt: 700 calories per hour (based on a speed of seven miles per hour)
Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, abs, calves
Cost: Free!
7. Dancing
Join a dance group (or start your own), head to a Victoria Park helper fiesta or rock up to LKF one night. Bonus: waving your gin and tonic about as you boogie totally counts as weightlifting! (JK. Those average 200 calories a pop, FYI.)
Calories burnt: 400 calories per hour, minus any alcohol beverages consumed
Muscles worked: Completely up to you – how low can you go?
Cost: Free!
8. Stair-climbing
Hong Kong may be spatially challenged, but it’s certainly not vertically challenged. If you can’t run a kilometre around your neighbourhood without stopping for three fruit delivery carts, five traffic lights, and nine suitcase-rolling tourists, then you need to look to the towers around you and conquer them! Find the stairwell, start at the bottom, climb to the top, take the lift down (to spare your knees), and repeat until you drop! If you find yourself taking a liking to this mild form of torture, check out the annual SHKP Vertical Race, in which masochists climb up the ICC – yes, the tallest building in the city.
Calories burnt: 500 calories per hour (taking the lift doesn’t count)
Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves (Bonus: use the railings for an upper body work out!)
Cost: Free!
9. Sports (like basketball, squash, tennis, badminton, volleyball and more!) at public facilities
Take advantage of what your taxes are paying for and use some of the public facilities available in every district at a relatively low cost! Book online to use the government facilities, which are rented in half-hour or full-hour blocks. Bonus: Check out the archery ranges, batting cages, driving ranges and bowling greens!
Calories burnt: 250 calories per hour and up (depending on the sport)
Muscles worked: All of them!
Cost: HKD14 and up, depending on the facility (more info)
9. Government fitness rooms
Whether to get stronger or to work on your Arnold physique, sometimes you just need plain old gym equipment, like barbells or dumbells. They may not have saunas, the latest treadmills, or smiling receptionists, and you’ll have to take a couple tests in order to be allowed to use the rooms, but they have the basics you need to sculpt your bod.
Calories burnt: 200 calories per hour
Muscles worked: Up to you!
Cost: HKD14/hour or HKD180/month (more info)
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