So you’ve had a little too much to eat and drink over the holiday season and you feel like your liver has turned into human foie gras. We’ve got what it takes to get you feeling and looking better this year—just follow our twelve-step recovery program.
1. Get dressed
2. Start lifting
The vibe at new, pay-as-you-go strength training places like Solitude of Strength and The Strength Yard is more fraternal than that of much snazzier mega-gyms. They’re unisex, but if you’re a woman and want to avoid gym bros, try Level Gym’s unintimidating Lift Like a Lady classes.
3. Try a new sport for cheap
The other sporting giant that just opened in Singapore is European retailer Decathlon, whose fluorescent-lit, warehouse-like store is stuffed to the brim with insanely cheap entry-level sporting goods (hello $6.90 swimming goggles and $250 mountain bikes). With 45 types of sports represented and pretty much everything available to try out, it’s hard not to walk away with a new trampoline or snorkel mask or archery set.
4. Ride the bike of the future
Forget clunky garden variety folding bikes. We keep seeing people whizzing around on the Strida and we want one, too. Just a simple triangular frame that you can straddle and pedal around on, uber-lightweight and grease-free (since there’s a rubber-like Kevlar belt in place of a metal chain), it does away with so many bicycle parts that are unnecessary and antiquated. It’s not too pricey either; models start at $850 at Mighty Velo.
5. … Or join a spin class
Singapore’s first boutique indoor cycling gym 7Cycle opened last year and was soon followed by CruCycle. Party animals wouldn’t feel out of place at either—they’re all dark rooms, pounding music and a clubby blue glow. Intense!
6. Go on a juice cleanse
Yes, juicing is back. While we’re wary of the miraculous claims of juice cleanses, it does feel great to detox after a big weekend, though we’ll admit feeling holier-than-thou and lording it over the solid food-eating mortals has something to do with it, too.
It can be pretty hard to choose one but our standby is the relatively new Daily Juice, which has pretty a manageable three-day cleanse (six half-liter bottles of juices and smoothies in flavors like Pepplemint—pineapple, apple and mint). At $133 for a three-day cleanse, plus $15 delivery fee, it’s also one of the more value-for-money cleanses around.
7. Mingle with running nerds
If running is your religion, the inaugural Runners Convention is a must-attend. Local marathoner Mok Ying Ren, who snagged Singapore a gold medal at the 2013 SEA Games, will give talks alongside international athletes Lizzy Hawker and Ricky Lightfoot. There are also workshops on barefoot running and yoga for runners. Registration costs $50-70 (including goodie bag).
8. Stay flexible
Yoga may be a little passe, but it’s still a good staple to have in your exercise regimen. Apart from the big players, there are even more boutique options than ever, from the tranquil Meraki Yoga in the west, Yoga Inc. in the east and multi-workout gym R-Evolution (offering an unlikely combo of HIIT and yoga) in the south.
But if you really want convenience, Yoga Movement has opened new outlets in Tiong Bahru and Dhoby Ghaut this year. Though with four outlets they’re turned into a full-blown chain, the instructors’ individual quirks, old school hip hop references in the decor and the relatively low prices remain.
9. Subscribe to organic produce
Organic grocery delivery services aren’t new, but Simply Fresh skips the artisanal pasta sauces and delivers only organic fruit and veg. Delivered to subscribers weekly, each 5-7kg box contains hard-to-find goodies like black salsify, root parsley and seasonal fruits. The Office and School Box (ingredients that require minimal prep, $138) and the Smoothie Box (for your juicing and blending needs, $138) are ideal for time-pressed people who still want to be healthy with atas vitamins air-flown from Europe to your home. Caveat: it’s not the best for your carbon footprint.
10. Wear a Fitbit
There’s a whole host of wearable fitness gadgets out there but the old standby Fitbit One (it’s been around a couple years) is still one of our faves. It’s still a cool little piece of tech that painlessly helps track how many steps you’re taking, calories you’re burning and how well you’re sleeping each day. It’s more for self-motivated types; either you’ll want to beat your numbers or you won’t. In any case it’s a mere $129 from Challenger, making it a cheap and cheerful alternative to a personal trainer.
11. Become a CrossFit junkie
One of the hottest fitness crazes around finally has a serious presence in Singapore at the brand new CrossFit Bukit Timah. The combined indoor-outdoor gym, or “box” as CrossFitters call it, is the biggest one here. It’s stuffed with hardcore equipment like kettlebells and giant tires—variety is a keynote of CrossFit—and hosts an accompanying range of classes for different levels. It remains to be seen whether the sport achieves in Singapore the cult-like status it has in the US.
12. Skip the kaya toast
There’s no lack of salad bars, soup stops and veggie restaurants around town, so we can’t believe it’s taken this long for someone to sort us out for what’s reputedly the most important meal of the day. Perhaps recognizing that starting the day with nasi lemak or buttery croissants is slowly (deliciously) killing us all, breakfast bar Whole & Hearty provides organic oats and locally-made granola topped with fruit, nuts, homemade fresh yogurt, almond milk and the like. There are also “it” health foods like chia seeds, flaxseeds and kefir, that probiotic drink that’s all the rage.
