August 17, 2015

Minus Calories Workout at ActiveHive Singapore!

August 17, 2015

I’ve finally found a place in Singapore that embraces the same health philosophy that I do and I’m so excited to share it with you guys today!

Active Hive is a brand new fitness centre in Singapore and why Hive? Because it follows a 7 Rs approach which are– Responsible, Right Exercise, Right Consideration, Right Nutrition, Right Effort and my two favourites- balance and rest. And if there are two things all Singaporeans need more of, it’s a balanced, sustainable approach to fitness and A LOT MORE (physical/ mental) REST!

I was really apprehensive of the company at first as I always am of new places in the health and fitness industry. After all, there is just so many new fangled activities being marketed as ‘health’ but turn out to just be money-scammers. It really takes discernment (and a healthy amount of suspicion) to suss out the truth from all the marketing hype, you know?!

So anyway, my discomfort was heightened even more when I entered Oxley Bizhub where ActiveHub is located. I was expecting a gym with bright lights and rows and rows of cardio/ weight machines but all I saw of the place was industrial chic at best. Dimly lit interiors, polished concrete floors and a modern kitchen setting greeted me the moment I stepped into the place.

Huh? Where does one exercise here?

But my discomfort were soon put to rest when I was greeted by the very welcoming staff 🙂

They proceeded to do the usual questionnaire/ measurements such as taking body fat measurements etc just to check your starting point. I like it that they invested in a machine that tells you your body fat percentage rather than just your weight alone. Then again, the numbers from a machine can only give you a very superficial assessment of your body. There are many other factors when it comes to accounting for holistic health and well- being so whatever numbers you have on hand, use them as progress markers if you wish, but never as the definitive source of validation for yourself!

After which I was led to a small room with just one machine in it.

The moment I saw it I was horrified. Prior to arriving at ActiveHive, I was told that I would be going through a painless cardio exercise designed to burn at least 500 calories in half an hour depending on the individual (big claims!). I didn’t think though, that Minus Calories was an elliptical machine! I don’t know about you but I hate, hate, hate the elliptical machine. It is the one machine I always avoid at the gym because it causes me the most pain. Very often, 5 minute into using it and my thighs would burn. I don’t care how people always say it is much better for your knees than pounding the treadmill. Better for my knees they may be, but oh my poor thighs!

While these thoughts were running through my head, the staff at ActiveHive was already gleefully programming the machine to the highest level. I really need to say this- I may run a ‘health’ blog but I’m not a health blogger which means my level of fitness is not what everybody thinks it is you know?? My protests were met with the cheerful assurance that ‘you can do it! Don’t worry!’ and with that, the staff happily closed the door behind her leaving me on a machine that suddenly glowed orange a la a sci-fi film.

Oh crap-a-doodle.

Please check out that level of madness indicated on the screen.

I started out tentatively at first. just plodding along, waiting for the burn to come. And you know what, the pain never came. With that I got more confident that I could do it. Perspiration was pouring, 10min into it, yet I’d never felt stronger.

The more I worked out on the machine, the more I was convinced of everything that it claimed to be able to do.

If you notice the metal nozzles on the machines, they actually emit negatively ionised air. Then entire machine also emits warm infrared light. These two combined make for a potent combination. Negatively ionised air has been proven to increase endurance levels, balance coordination and reaction and it’s so good that the Russians use it to train for the Olympics and improve their athletic performance. The real deal though, comes from the infrared light. Infrared light has been used for the longest time to reduce pain in muscles/ joints etc but it’s not magic. ANYTHING that improves your body’s blood circulation, improves your well-being. There are a whole host of other benefits including tighter skin, reduction of cellulite, improving mood and energy levels but I’m not going to delve into any of that because THERE REALLY WAS NO PAIN. WHAT SORCERY IS THIS (I know I said it wasn’t magic haha).

While I was on the machine I couldn’t stop thinking how great the workout would be for the clinically obese or senior citizens like my grandmother who fear exercising because they have achy joints or body aches that prevent them from working out. Why is the government not investing in a whole host of these machines in old folks’ homes?! Also, because it is just one machine in a single room, there is no issue of prying eyes for people a little shy of working out in front of other people. Sometimes, there are just so many barriers to exercising for some people you know? Maybe you or someone you know is struggling with a huge weight problem and is too embarrassed to work out in front of other people then ActiveHive is going to be just right for you.

It also helps that I can prop my iPad on the machine and watch The Return of Superman. Do you love this show too? I LOVE IT.

The session ends in 32 minutes and the machine says I burnt 606 calories. That’s nice. Wonder how many Old Chang Kee curry puffs that is. (Only two?! 🙁 )

At the end of the whole session I am POURING sweat but the pain never comes. I get off the machine and my legs are a little wobbly but still strangely no pain. It’s starting to get a little creepy. Did I really work out? Haha. Exercise for me is really about cardiovascular health and building strength and flexibility so the calories burnt don’t really matter to me. But for those looking to shed weight, this has got to be the most painless, time- efficient way to do it. Only 32 minutes! ~~(and you can eat another 2 curry puffs!)~~

Post workout, I am treated to a freshly made green juice. So fresh that the apple is cut right in front of me. Haha. I sit with the juice and read the array of health magazines available.

ActiveHive also sells a whole range of merchandise like lifestyle accessories, health ingredients and even the Hurom juicers!

That’s me post workout – smiling because there’s no pain. I’m a convert! I believe in technology! Haha.

If you are wondering what I ate pre workout, this was my pre workout snack. One thing that I really like about ActiveHive is that they constantly remind you that YOU MUST EAT before working out. The workout may be painless but the stress on your body is real and you need to nourish your body enough to handle it. I always eat fruits for a quick energy boost especially if it’s a short, intense workout and uh, that is sambal goreng tofu because I just like it. 😀

In short, I highly, highly recommend ActiveHive especially for those looking for a private, painless workout. Active Hive also provides yoga sessions etc so you may want to check out their facebook page for more updates. They are new so some things are still in the works but from what I’ve seen of them so far and their commitment to holistic health, I’d say they will be quite a force to reckon with in future.

Till next time,

stay active, healthy and happy 🙂

ActiveHive

65 Ubi Road 1 #02-88, Oxley Bizhub, S408729
Tel: 6384 2758/ 9236 4678

by appointment only.

And also to prevent you from getting hopelessly lost like I did, here are some directions to the place at Oxley Bizhub.

1. From the main entrance, turn left

2. Go up the escalators

3. Turn left (where the exit sign is)

4. And you’ll see ActiveHive‘s main door and sign!

February 25, 2015

Natural Healings – Holistic health and wellness in Singapore!

February 25, 2015

Invited Review

Hello! A couple of weeks back, I was invited by Natural Healings to try out their services! I’m sure if you’ve been following me for awhile, you would know that I’m always on the look out for enterprises that cater to re- aligning the body and helping to get rid of all the aches and effects of the abuse I’ve inflicted on myself (massive long runs last time, rigorous HIIT sessions and binge eating 🙁 ) in the past. I’m now totally into moderate varied eating, moderate exercise and lots of long, slow, stretching sessions and restorative walks (best enjoyed in the company of family and friends!)

I actually do go to a physio clinic for runner’s knee but I’m not going to say where because I actually think they are not very good at all. I healed more researching on google and doing squats on my own to strengthen the quads rather than anything the physiotherapist advised me to do (or didn’t advise because let’s just say the physiotherapist I was under was rather… negligent 🙁 )

Anyhoo! Natural Healings is a really interesting concept because they fuse both Chiropractic services and Physiotherapy services in one super convenient location! I think this is way more holistic than just going for one because your bones and muscles work together so it makes sense right, to have them assessed together?

If you didn’t know, Chiropractors are trained in the alignment of the spine. And I’ve only recently learned that having your spine out of alignment negatively impacts your health SO MUCH. For one, if you work in an office and you are always sitting down and leaning forward, your head may be tilting forward so much that the weight of your head is poorly supported, resulting in unnecessary strain, aches and pain. Read more here to find out how you can tell if your spine is out of alignment and causing a multitude of problems such as body pains, headaches and even constipation!

As for physiotherapists, they focus more on treating muscle injuries or even rehabilitation for stroke recovery and post operation rehabilitation. They use a variety of treatment options just as ultrasound, electrotherapy, heat therapy and massage techniques. If you don’t know which one to go for, my opinion is that if you have a muscle problem or impaired joint mobility, go for physiotherapy but for general upkeep of health and wellness and to rid yourself of that constant dull sense of unidentified ache and fatigue, go see a chiropractic!

If you still don’t know which is best for you, you should go to Natural Healings because they have both under one roof! Haha!

So I turned up for my appointment and was made to fill in a form. They will ask you all sort of things about yourself and to circle a diagram where you feel tightness, aches or pains. I circled my shoulders, neck, lower back, hamstrings, left ankle- practically the whole body man!

I was made to stand next to this grid to check my alignment. They will take pics of you from different angles, with your head at a neutral position, looking up and looking down.

First up, a consultation with the Physiotherapist. I’m listening to her explain all about how everything is linked. Next, I was brought to a room where I was given a gown to change into and the physiotherapist proceeded to check muscle tension in my back (and everywhere else that I complained about hehheh. )

Then my favourite part- deep tissue massage. I love massages! And this was exactly at all the right places. Looking at the picture of her thumbs on my lower back and all I can think of is- mhmmm I need a massage now.

She made me do this really embarrassing exercise after that. I mean, it was embarrassing to me because I couldn’t do it AT ALL. So basically, what I was supposed to do was just to lift up my arm, and she pressed gently down and I was supposed to resist it/ push it up. And I just couldn’t do it AT ALL. 🙁 I was really horrified because when I got home, I tested it on my brothers and they all could do it easily! Apparently my back muscles are really weak so in order to compensate, my shoulders strain forward causing all my pain and aches, making me hunch and further weakening the unused muscles. OH MY TIAN. This is why I spend hundreds of dollars at Wanyang when I should be lifting some weights instead. Hurhur.

Next up was Ultrasound and Electrotherapy:

When your body undergoes strain, aches are a symptom but what’s really happening is that there is soft tissue damage which leads to inflammation and swelling causing the pain. In order to relax and repair the tissue, ultrasound is used increase the blood flow and break down the hardened tissue. This helps reduce the pain and supports the healing process. I did this for my sprained ankle at my previous physiotherapy clinic as well and I like it! Although I was really suspicious of it at first because there’s… no feeling when it’s being administered.

The ultrasound massage is complemented with Electrotherapy. Electrotherapy reduces pain by increasing the blood flow to reduce swelling and promote the healing process. It is most often used to treat inflammation and swelling after injury or operations, back and neck pain and muscle injury. For me though, I was given Electrotherapy to help my muscles contract, I think, in a bid to ‘activate’ them because they are so weak and under- utilised. Electrotherapy can also be used for post op rehabilitative purposes to aid muscle contraction to prevent the muscles from atrophying (shrinking).

A 45 min physiotherapy session comprises of the massage, the ultrasound and the electrotherapy depending on your condition and what you need. After that, I was brought for a consultation with the Chiropractor!

Here she is explaining that the spine is Very Important and needs to be taken care of.

I don’t know why but almost every chiropractic place I’ve been to, the chiropractor always aligns the spine in the open. Is there a reason for this or just simply logistics? Anyway it was quite fun watching other people and hearing all the very satisfying spinal cracks (which I learnt were just air bubbles 🙁 I thought they were cool sounds emitted when my bones snap back into place!) Also very comforting is how everyone looks instantly brighter, lighter and happier once it’s over. Maybe it’s relief that they didn’t snap into half but I like to think it’s because their spine is all so well aligned now and they feel fabulous.

Yay! My turn!

I lie down on the chiropractic bench and she assesses me and says my hips are out of alignment. It’s not noticeable to the naked eye and I’m surprised she can tell because while I know because I can feel it when I walk, I didn’t think it was that much of a big deal. Why didn’t I think it was big deal? Because my hips didn’t hurt! But I learnt from the consultation that when my hips are misaligned, all my muscles work like mad to over compensate, pulling and straining and causing unnecessary aches and pains! So just because that particular part of you doesn’t hurt, doesn’t mean it’s not affecting everything else! In the last picture, I’m hugging the block and the chiropractor literally jumps on me.

Some cracks and bends later, I stagger off the bench and I indeed feel lighter! Which is true right, doesn’t everybody feel that way after a visit to the massage parlour or the chiropractor? Having the chiropractor adjust my spine AFTER massage therapy on my muscles was just simply the icing on the cake. I walked out feeling like I’d been taken care of ‘holistically’.

If you are keen on merchandise for your spinal health, Natural Living also carries several note-worthy products!

I think the pillow would make an excellent and practical gift for grandparents or parents!

In conclusion, I recommend Natural Living not just because I think their therapists are good (because let’s face it, I’m sure there are many good ones in Singapore), but because this is a place that really strives to treat you as holistically as possible. At my previous (well, not previous- technically my package hasn’t been used up but I can’t bring myself to go back there) physioclinic, I was just an ankle sprain to them and they treated only that one spot. But over here at Natural Living, they take pains (hur) to really understand you and your condition and most importantly, they have the facilities and people to cater to your needs.

So if you know anyone who needs to rid themselves of aches and pains to live life a little more enjoyably, give Natural Living a call to try them out and see if they are suitable for you. Don’t suffer in unnecessary, debilitating pain anymore. As for me, I’m definitely going to put in more effort in stretching and strengthening myself as gently as possible and treating myself right!

Till next time,
xx

Natural Living
Connect with them on FB: https://www.facebook.com/sg.naturalhealings

Or visit them at:

Chinatown
133 New Bridge Road, #B1-38,
Chinatown Point, Singapore 059413
Hotline:+65 6225 2202Hotline: +65 6344 1192

Parkway Parade
Parkway Parade, 80 Marine Parade Road,
#10-08, Singapore 449269

Raffles Place
11 Collyer Quay #11-05, The Arcade, Singapore 049317
Hotline: +65 6225 2202

Jurong East
Jurong East CPF Building 21
Jurong Gateway Road #04-06
Singapore 608546

Hotline: +65 6425 6618

April 18, 2014

Sports Wear Shopping: Asics Gel- DS Trainer 18

April 18, 2014

So I recently mentioned that I am in training for my very first 10k next month and it’s been going… really badly :/ I don’t mean to sound negative but I’m not sure if running is really my thing. What I’m really trying to do is push myself on the treadmill but my knees hurt SO badly it’s just really frustrating. The first 10 minutes is amazing and I feel everything everyone says about running- that’s it’s liberating, that I feel like I’m flying, I feel my heart pounding and in that moment I feel truly and ecstatically alive.

Then there is a twinge in my knee. and it gets worse.

3km in and the pain is starting to eat into my left knee.

4km in and my right gives in as well.

By 5km I want to die. I reluctantly pull the handle backwards to reduce the speed to a pathetic crawl of 4.0mph and the fire in my knees is temporarily doused.

I walk the rest of the 5km, frustrated and annoyed.

For the rest of the week I try not to think about running. I swing like a pendulum between meeting a goal I set for myself (i.e. striking a 10k off my bucket list) and listening to my body (Steady state cardio is not enjoyable. Weight training and Interval training is.) I always, always advocate listening to my body more than anything else but I really do want to run at least one race in my life as well.

Anyway, just wanted to write a quick shout out to all you beautiful people out there who have taken the time to FB msg me on vegsmoothiebunny’s FB page or left me emails etc on running advice and diet etc for a total newbie! I really appreciate it and read each one really hungrily to devour all the new knowledge I can! One of the recurring advice was to get proper shoes.

Okay. I have to be really honest here-

I’ve never had an exercise regime nor have I actually ever exercised more than 2 days in a row (more like do a jog with a friend then die on the sofa for 10 days straight after kinda thing). I may know a lot about diet but exercise is really a whole new horizon!

My sports shoe are EIGHT years old. (Yes :/ The sports shoes I run in now are the very same ones I wore to JC). They are the Asics Nimbus and eight years ago I bought them at a hefty price of $250 . Since they made such a huge dent on my paltry JC allowance, I was determined that they would last FOREVER. I also didn’t bother about getting them fitted. I only chose them because they met the 75% white shoe rule and had traces of pink on them. (bimbo max).

When I started running and my knees started to hurt, I thought I needed shoes with more cushioning. It was only when the pain got more severe that I went to a physiotherapist (not sharing where because I think the place is not very good).

The physiotherapist pointed out that it was time to change my shoes but did not recommend any or say anything else about the matter (although I prodded her for more advice, she brushed me off and sent me on my way so I decided not to push the matter). Thank goodness for shoe shops that have good service!

The first place I went to was the Running Lab at Novena. The guy assessed the way I ran on the treadmill and recommended the Asics Kayano as it is a high stability shoe for over pronators. I tried the shoe on but was unconvinced as it just didn’t seem to fit my needs also my foot kept shifting in the shoes.

Over the weekend D and I happened to pop by the Asics store at Marina Square and it was such a blessing! I highly recommend going to the store to get fitted for your shoes! The sales staff on duty, Louis, was a great help and we spent almost an hour there getting fitted for shoes.

The process was really simple- you stand on this mirrored stand to check if you are flat footed (I’m not) and the store assistant assesses your pronation.

You can see from the photo that my ankles curve inwards like a backward ‘c’ due to multiple ankle sprains that I never did anything about. Because of my weak ankles, over pronation and unsuitable shoes, my foot shifts too much and it impacts the knees making running a painful and very uncomfortable experience for me.

The nimbus, that I used to wear are cushioning shoes (which I thought I needed for my knees) but they are actually for under pronators! So instead of correcting the problem, it actually made it worse!

So anyway, the point of the post is really to encourage you to get fitted for proper shoes if you are thinking of undertaking any sort of running/ exercise regime. Don’t be like me and buy shoes just because ‘they are pink’ or pretty or think that ‘well, Asics make good running shoes therefore any shoe will be great for me- let’s just get the nicest looking one!’

After much hemming and hawing, I finally settled on the Ds Trainer- they fit really well for narrow feet (something I have but never considered while buying shoes. I just thought all shoes were the same width), have stability functions for over pronators and provide adequate cushioning for my knees. They are also lighter than the usual shoes for long distance running.

I’ve tried them for 2 weeks now and running is MUCH BETTER with them but I do still feel knee pain a couple of Kms in. Perhaps I should explore knee guards? Perhaps Kinesthetic Tape? Or…

perhaps running is just not my thing?

Haha. I’m not sure but for now, I’m just going to listen to all your advice to go slow, keep at it and enjoy myself as much as I can.

Till the next time!

Stay healthy everyone! 🙂

p.s I changed the laces. Don’t worry, didn’t wear them differently on each shoe! Haha

June 18, 2013

Of gym sessions, massages and walking into a male toilet

June 18, 2013

So today I finally made the commitment to go back to the gym after an 8 month hiatus. (Once you stop, life just goes whoosh! And it’s so hard to get back. Suddenly watching the ants cross my table seemed far more interesting than sweating it out and dying in the gym. Hence the 8 month hiatus)

But I must say, I think I used to be quite fit last time. Sporadic visits to the gym was definitely way better than none and I vaguely remember doing sit ups and lunges and strange contortions with relative ease sometime.. say in the previous century.

OH HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN TODAY.

I laced up my shoes for one of my favorite gym classes at amore fitness- Ultimate interval. I love it because its really intense and compared to it, everything else (except for power pump) feels quite relaxing. I love the combination of high speed cardio and strength training and I never feel bored in that class. (How can you when you are dripping sweat from 2 minutes of jumping jacks then tricep extensions then 2 minutes of fast jog?)

10min into the class today and I wanted to go home already. My sides were aching and my feet were screaming ” what are you doing to us!!!!?” The 3 pound weights I was using felt like 50kg weights. A faint (and very distant) memory of myself being able to do such exercises flitted across my mind, mocked me for a little while and sashayed out of the door while I panted unglamly in its wake.

I glanced over at my neighbor and was immediately humbled by what I saw. Before class started, I had cast some worried glances her way. She was so skinny, so pale. She looked like typical pictures you would see of anorexics. Yet there she was effortlessly doing all these Spanish Inquisition torture type workouts with the air of someone doing the laundry. There was an auntie that looked about twice my weight and she was doing jumping jacks LIKE A GAZELLE I kid you not.

SERIOUSLY. IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT GOT CEMENTED INTO MY HEAD TODAY it’s A PERSON’S BODY SIZE TELLS YOU NOTHING ABOUT THE PERSON OR HIS/ HER HEALTH.

Don’t judge, really. It will come and bite you back in your ass. ( that is now trembling from doing squats)

There they were and there I was with my legs looking well muscled and toned from years of childhood ballet floundering like a duck with the weights.

Oh the irony. Lucky I don’t count calories. That was a large slice of humble pie to eat tonight.

Post workout and I heave a grateful sigh of relief and disappear out of the door only to realize everyone else bigger than and smaller than me were all staying on for the next class which was aero hi-lo aka HIGH IMPACT aerobics.

Oh good grief.

Anyway, I spied a foot reflexology place just opposite and delightedly walked in to soothe my post workout aches. (Talk about unfit, yes I know). They were so good I did something out of character and signed up for a package on the spot. It was 26 sessions of either 40min foot reflexology or 20min shoulder&back for $500 making each session around $19 only. I LOVE MASSAGES so no regret there 🙂

Just before going home, I ended the night nicely by absentmindedly walking into the male toilet. My first reaction when I walked was one of surprise. A toilet bowl was gunked with fecal matter and I was really shocked! Then my mind started spinning with questions like which girl would.. (I know, stone me for gender stereotyping haha) before turning the corner and coming face to face with a row of urinals.

Oh dear Lord. I retreated back and hotfooted it out of there as quickly as possible and there was a guy washing his hands at the basin looking at me and grinning. I muttered a squeaky little ‘sorry!’ And I could hear his grin through his voice as he cheerily replied “oh never mind!!”

All I can think of is how grateful I am there was only one guy and he was washing his hands.. Not using the urinals.

So there, my first day back at the gym and hopefully not my last. If everyday is going to be this fun, I would say this life is really a rather exciting one haha.