Don’t worry about the holiday carbs you ate last year. With Singapore’s diverse fitness circuit, there’s something to address everyone’s wellness goals in 2014.
Martial arts is said to have its early roots in ancient China, so it’s no surprise why martial arts, and various modern forms of it, is one of the most popular sports in Singapore. Consistently voted one of the top Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gyms in Asia by media outlets such as CNN, ESPN and The Tokyo Times, Evolve is synonymous with this country’s competitive fighting scene, cultivating world champions right in the Central Business District of Singapore. The gym offers classes for beginners up to advanced competitors, and draws on international expertise with more than 50 instructors teaching muay Thai, boxing, MMA wrestling, submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “Achieve Greatness Within” is the gym’s motto, and Evolve has certainly achieved its fair share of fame — since its start in November 2008, this gym founded by Chatri Sityodtong has grown from just a few artists and students to a family of hundreds, even hosting the most renowned and legendary instructors (MMA legend Dan Henderson, Bellator champion Ben Askren, UFC fighter Tom Lawlor and UFC champion Urijah Faber) in Singapore.
Pure got its start in Hong Kong but has since expanded into a global luxury lifestyle network with a prime location in Singapore, as well as Shanghai, Taipei and New York City. With yoga and fitness studio locations in some of the most populated and popular areas of the country (Raffles Place, Asia Square and Orchard Road), The Pure Group has more than 50,000 around the globe. Their facilities are some of the best and largest in the country as far as fitness studios go — with views of the financial and shopping districts.
Pure Yoga offers a diverse mix of foreign and local yoga instructors representing different practices, and prides itself on its range of offerings, which include heated and non-heated classes throughout the day, private and group sessions, beginner through advanced levels, and Ashtanga Vinyasa, Hatha, Mysore, Pranayama, Yin and dance techniques. The studios draw expert yogis from around the globe (California, Paris, New York City and India, among others) and also host a range of seminars, courses and retreats for students and aspiring teachers.
Pure Fitness is one of the most luxurious gyms in the country with state-of-the-art equipment imported from around the world (Eleiko Sport, Power Lift, Technogym), a pool, indoor track, octagon ring for MMA, more than 130 classes and a slew of fitness programs including personal training, spinning, TRX (suspension training), ViPR (Vitality, Performance, Reconditioning), pole dancing and boot camp. Plus, the studios provide complimentary workout clothes, mats and towels for gym-goers.
Launched in 2006 and no stranger to the Men’s Health, Shape and Singapore Tatler magazines’ awards sections, SKY Fitness is a members-only private club that combines fitness and wellness in an impeccable space located on the 16th floor of HarbourFront Tower Two, complete with unrivaled views of nearby Sentosa island and Mount Faber. It’s a blend of gym and spa in addition to services catered toward pampering members — concierge services gladly handle laundry drop-offs, limousine bookings and movie reservations. Plus, members can also indulge in complimentary childcare service and 20-percent-off spa treatments (massages, facials, body detox programs). Preventative diagnosis checks are also encouraged, too. Unlike other more traditional gym settings, SKY offers SKY GENESIS holistic and wellness programs, which utilize the latest alternative and traditional Chinese medicine approaches to calm stress and focus on rebalancing and achieving equilibrium. Another claim to fame is SKY’s specialized golf conditioning program with a focus on the biomechanics behind golf (golf swing analysis) — two of Singapore’s top golfers, Lam Chih Bing and Mardan Mamat have been known to participate in this program.
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