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Health & Fitness

Health & Fitness
Reviews, tips and advice on how to stay on track to be the fittest, healthiest you.
last updated:
17 December, 2024
People enjoy a snack at the Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on January 27. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong society

Letters | As we celebrate Lunar New Year, let’s eat healthy and spread some love

Readers discuss the need to pay attention to one’s physical and mental health during the festive season, and ways to avoid wasting food.

Wellness

‘Did I want to live or to die?’ Alcoholic who became a top global mediator

Skincare

8 celebrities who struggled with acne, from Camila Cabello to Pete Davidson

Hong Kong society

Editorial | Flavoured cigarettes leave bad taste for all

For the health of Hong Kong society, particularly the young, measures targeting such products must be implemented as soon as possible.

A survey involving 5,600 respondents found that half of current smokers used flavoured cigarettes. Photo: Sam Tsang
Food and Drinks

How ginger transforms dishes, from China to Chicago

Pastry chef Jacky Lee Shing-lam likes ginger’s warming notes, which include many chemicals useful to our bodies, as Dr Vivian Chen, founder of Plateful Health, and Dr Jamie Bering, of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, explain.

Wellness

What is the best type of yoga for you? How beginners should choose

Hatha and yin styles are generally better for beginners, vinyasa and ashtanga are more vigorous – but always ask teachers if you’re not sure.

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Malaysia

Stateless to strong: Rohingya refugee chases bodybuilding dreams in Malaysia

Shot and exiled from his homeland by Myanmar’s military, Faruk Arian was tired of feeling powerless – until he turned his trauma into triumph.

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Rohingya refugee bodybuilder Faruk Arian poses at a gym in Bandar Utama, Malaysia. Photo: Faruk Arian
Fashion

5 fresh starts for your exercise goals: 2025 looks from top fitness brands

The Zupe: Superhealth for Everyone app is on the iOS App Store, while other items on our list are available at your favourite high-street stores.

Wellness

Sizing up your bra: how a proper fit may help your overall health

Doctors and midwives agree that many women wear the wrong size bra and therefore risk injury during exercise, and discomfort or worse during maternity.

Beauty

Why did Jessica Biel’s Epsom salts routine before New York’s Met Gala go viral?

The benefits of Epsom salts, from easing muscle and joint pain to improving sleep – and why they are proving a beauty and wellness staple with celebrities

Actress Jessica Biel got the internet talking over her Epsom salt prep before the Met Gala last year. Photos: EPA, Handout
International schools in Hong Kong

Hong Kong schools embrace physical education post-Paris Olympics success

The Education Bureau has proposed a grading system revision where PE scores will count for assessment – this is to enhance well-being and physical literacy

Physical education is now getting the attention it deserves in Hong Kong’s schools. Photo: CDNIS
Food and Drinks

Salt to taste: chefs love to use it, but we all need to watch our intake

Salt varieties include Fleur de sel, Black Hawaiian sea salt, Himalayan pink salt and kosher salt – but we need to watch our consumption too.

Hong Kong youth

Editorial | Lack of exercise is harming children in Hong Kong

Far too many students in Hong Kong are failing to meet even the minimum standards, leading to a greater risk of obesity and its many related diseases.

Food and Drinks

Word on the StrEAT: Hong Kong’s F&B experts on their resolutions for 2025

Maintaining a healthier work-life balance, taking a break from social media and keeping an eye on the small steps to success are among the goals for the new year.

Some of Hong Kong’s F&B leaders, including the team at Tell Camellia (pictured), talk about their resolution for 2025. Photo: Handout
Wellness

How to set boundaries at work to improve your mental health

Expert tips on managing your time, workload and technology for a better work-life balance.

Learning to say “no” at work is essential for protecting our physical and mental health. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong

This ‘grandma’s game’ is taking Hong Kong – and all ages – by storm

Once a niche sport, pickleball has captivated the city and players of every age – even Taylor Swift and Michael Phelps are fans.

Biomedicine: Companies

CR Pharma, NAMI join forces to fight Alzheimer’s with Pfizer cancer drug

Palbociclib, developed by Pfizer for certain types of advanced breast cancer, was approved for sale in 2015.

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Asia travel

6 wellness retreats to try in Southeast Asia in 2025

Asia has a deep well of riches when it comes to wellness resorts, from the Namia River Retreat, in Vietnam, to Shinta Mani Wild, in Cambodia.

These six destinations offer unique experiences blending cultural exploration with healing therapies, delicious cuisine and stunning natural settings. Photo: Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary
Wellness

Why change can be good for your mental health – even though it’s hard

How do you turn and face the strange? In her own life, psychologist Esslin Terrifghena explores why change is so difficult – and how to take the leap.

Wellness

That morning coffee is doing wonders for your health, says new study

Researchers at Tulane University have found drinking coffee in the morning appears to be better for health outcomes than caffeinating throughout the day – though they don’t know why.

Wellness

Run clubs have arrived in Hong Kong to combine exercise and community

This booming subculture is attracting runners of all abilities and from all walks of life to join up and enjoy a workout together – and buy the merch.

Custom merch at DOP Training Club allows people to resonate with the brand. Photo: Kin Ho Photography
Wellness

Explainer | What are functional foods and should you be having them?

Functional foods claiming to provide all kinds of health benefits are blowing up on social media, but few examples have scientific backing.

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Some functional foods and beverages can be good for you, a doctor says, including products that have been fortified or enriched with a specific ingredient, like drinks fortified with vitamin B, or foods for specific dietary needs, like gluten-free or lactose-free products. But many others do not live up to their marketing. Photo: Shutterstock
Britain

Scotland leader praises first UK consumption facility for illegal drugs

The pilot centre aims to reduce harm associated with injecting drugs, as Scotland grapples with the highest drug misuse death rates in Europe.

Wellness

3 top wellness trends to make 2025 a better year

In the advent of artificial intelligence, cutting-edge wellness technology and a growing awareness of holistic health practices, there are now more ways than ever to get in, and stay in, tip-top shape.

Fame and celebrity

Why Golden Globe winner Demi Moore still looks so good at 62

Demi Moore’s latest film The Substance may be about the dangers of fame and one woman’s search for eternal youth, but in real life, Demi Moore has overcome negativity to find her healthiest self.

Demi Moore in the 1996 film Striptease (L), and attending the 2024 Academy Museum Gala (R). Photo: @demimoore/Instagram
Hong Kong society

Letters | Standardise sizes at eateries to make Hong Kong healthier

Readers discuss ways to optimise food portion sizes in Hong Kong, the city’s first breast milk bank, and the benefits of admitting we’re not perfect.

Customers line up at a two-dish rice counter in a shopping mall in Central district on November 22. Photo: Alexander Mak
United States

Alcohol stocks drop after US surgeon general calls for cancer warnings

Unclear when or if the surgeon general’s suggestions will be implemented. Decision to update the label will ultimately be made by Congress.

Wellness

We tried HBOT, infrared sauna and red light therapy at Hong Kong’s 10x Longevity

The Circuit at 10x Longevity has taken cutting-edge treatments out of the laboratory and the domain of elite athletics to make them part of everyday wellness routines.

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