Fitness

Katie Duff was a professional dancer and aerial performer at Disney parks in Japan and Hong Kong. To the observer, she was at her physical peak.
But something wasn’t right with her body. She was bulky in some areas and not feeling particularly fit.
“I was doing the same thing every day (as a performer) but not doing enough cardiovascular (work),” says the Flex instructor, who adds that parts of her body were weaker than others due to the repetitive nature of her routines.

Did you ever wonder why a Pilates class always follows the same sequence of moves? Back in the 20s, 30s and 40s when Pilates was creating his Contrology, he designed it to counter the inactivity of modern life. Therefore his exercises worked, in a brilliantly intricate and biologically logical way, to restore our natural rhythm and coordination. Following the physical development of humans, he started with the 100s, where you are prone like a baby and breathing to the fullest extent, gradually moving the body to its upright position, with each exercise preparing for the next. Flex founder Heather Thomas-Shalabi explains how it works.

Anna Agawa was born and raised in the Philippines, and has lived in Hong Kong for five years. Katie Duff grew up in Victoria, Australia and having lived in Hong Kong previously for seven years she returned again this year. Both dancers have incorporated all kinds of fitness into their lives to complement their stage