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Forget the conventional big-box fitness chains with their lengthy membership contracts, tired changing rooms and unfocused workout options; today, exercise is part of a holistic lifestyle choice and there’s something for everyone.
“The gym experience is changing along with client needs,” says Wendy Wong, Chairwoman of TOPFIT, a premier gym that offers an elite and targeted fitness experience in a sleek, modern industrial-style space with luxury toiletries and fitness options that is created around each members lifestyle. “Clients have become more sophisticated and prefer an experience that aligns to their own fitness priorities and goals. In Hong Kong, some gyms have evolved to cater to very practical needs of working professionals while some create dedicated class or instructor followers.” Gone are the days of ‘one-size-fits-all’.
The importance of experience has extended to Hit45, a new addition to the Hong Kong boutique gym scene. “Not long ago, the only gyms around were the massive chains with rows of machines lined up in a big open space. We are seeing a massive shift towards a friendlier reception area where people can sit and chat with the instructors before or after class,” says Anna Foley, a personal trainer at Hit45. “The studio sets also have dark lighting and loud music to give off an energetic night club vibe with instructors motivating you to push you out of your comfort zone.”
While putting the ‘experience’ at the core of the gym philosophy has become the trend in recent years, this doesn’t mean the classes are any less grueling. In fact, with the ever-growing fitness community and attraction of these contemporary-styled gyms, people are less likely to skip the gym and thus get results a lot faster than the conventional big gym facilities.
Today’s busy time-poor lifestyles have also led to the realisation that committing to a lengthy 12-month contract just to get fit is no longer an option. A need for transparency in cost was also in order, leading to the rise of ‘pay-as-you-train’ where gym goers are now able to drop in to ad-hoc classes or pay monthly with no commitment. “Hong Kong is such a hub for people that travel a lot for work that the lock-in gym membership is no longer feasible nor appealing,” says Foley.
Foley also believes that variety is the key to fitness success, citing our need for diversity in our everyday routines, “whether that is trying new restaurants or coffee shops, or having access to a range of gyms that offer different styles of training.”
Robert Pachter and Jeffrey Liu tap into just this with GuavaPass, a network of boutique fitness studios and gyms across Hong Kong which customers have unlimited access to with monthly membership. “The idea for GuavaPass was born when we moved back to Singapore from the States and were looking for fun activities to stay healthy and fit while meeting new people. The standard gym memberships felt restrictive and it was hard to find a centralized list of the city’s best boutique fitness studios,” the duo explains.
“The gym experience has changed a lot in recent years and as the fitness scene has become more competitive in Asia, studios are introducing more differentiators,” they continue.
Call it ‘the avocado effect’ if you will, from our obsession with clean eating to the newest fitness trends, there’s no denying that this is fitness for the modern lifestyle. Healthy hedonists now have a new place to hang out and for the first time, it’s where we all want to be.
