Lifelong athlete Owen Ng shares how classical Pilates reshaped his performance and mindset this Movember.
When you first meet Owen Ng, you might not guess he’s only been practicing classical Pilates for a few months. A lifelong athlete with a background spanning soccer, basketball, running, and competitive events like Hyrox and Deka, Owen has spent years testing his limits.
But what surprised him most wasn’t how Pilates challenged his strength. it was how deeply it changed the way he moved. “I’ve trained all my life. But Pilates made me aware of muscles I’d never really used, the smaller, stabilising ones that hold everything together,” he says. “It’s way harder than people think.”
Discovering Pilates
Owen first tried Reformer Pilates years ago on his physio’s recommendation, but it wasn’t until this year that he decided to commit. “It’s becoming really popular in Hong Kong now,” he says. “My friend Michelle, who works at FLEX, got me to try a class. I thought, okay, I must give it a proper go.”
What started as curiosity quickly became a weekly ritual. With a background in yoga through his wife, a yoga instructor, and an understanding of movement from years of physio and sport, Owen found Pilates refreshingly intuitive. “In yoga, you have to control your body completely. With Pilates, the equipment gives you feedback, so you can really feel what’s happening. It helps you understand your own body better.”
Performance Gains You Can Feel
Owen’s training is all about performance, speed, agility, and recovery. But years of running, sprinting, and explosive workouts had left his hips and lower back tight, and he often ignored
stretching. Classical Pilates changed that.
“When you’re sitting all day, but also training hard, your hips and hamstrings get tight. Classical Pilates at FLEX helps realign my posture and open up those areas. The Reformer stretches go deeper than anything I could do on my own,” he says.
He also discovered how complementary Pilates is to his other training. “Doing lots of different types of movement helps each other. No single sport or exercise does it all. Pilates gives me flexibility and
mobility, which means when I run, I run faster and recover better. When I run, I also build strength and have better control over my lower body, which feeds back into my Pilates work.”
Even seemingly simple exercises, like footwork at the start of class, became game changers. “The footwork warm-up is challenging for men. You have to engage tiny muscles in your feet and toes, which most of us never think about. It’s like foot reflexology, you realise how much of your body connects through your feet.”
Another favourite exercise is the hamstring curl on the box. “Most of my other workouts are explosive. I run, I jump, I hurdle. On the box, I curl my hamstring slowly and deliberately, and my body almost cramps because it is such a different kind of muscle engagement. But the control I gain afterwards is amazing.”
That mindful pace, he explains, is what has elevated his overall performance. “Pilates slows everything down. You work the same muscles, but more deliberately. It builds a different kind of strength, a very controlled strength.”
Building the Mind–Body Connection
For Owen, Pilates isn’t just about physical conditioning, it’s also a mental reset. “When I do one-on-one sessions, I don’t need to think about what’s next because the instructor guides me. That means I can focus on how my body feels. I don’t look in the mirror, I just feel. That awareness helps me reset mentally.”
Even his breathing has evolved. “The breathing method is different from fitness training. In classical Pilates, you inhale and exhale through long pulses, it’s like rowing. You feel your whole body movingtogether. It teaches you control.” That mindful rhythm, he says, brings a calm focus that carries into his everyday life.
Redefining Men’s Health
For Movember, Owen hopes more men will discover what he has, that real strength is not about lifting heavier but moving better. “Men always chase size and power, but it’s not about how heavy you can lift. It’s about how well you can control your body.”
He also keeps his approach to wellbeing simple: stay hydrated, move consistently, and listen to your body. “I see people drinking soda or coffee while training, no water! Most headaches come from dehydration. Small things matter.”
Classical Pilates at FLEX has become the perfect complement to Owen’s performance-based training, one that builds resilience, balance, and presence. “It’s not just about being strong. It’s about being aware. Classical Pilates teaches you to connect to your breath, your body, and your mind. That’s the real strength.”
The Fun Factor
And while Owen’s Pilates sessions are precise and technical, he can also be playful and freestyle. “Sometimes I use the frame for chin-ups or backbends. It’s fun, not just stretching and torture. It’s challenging in a good way.”
Join the Conversation
This Movember, FLEX Studio invites men to experience movement that goes beyond muscle. Classical Pilates is a practice that strengthens from the inside out, one breath at a time.
Men’s Titan Tuesday Special Promotion
50% off your first class or Private Assessment at SGD 115 (usual SGD 150)
Sales period: 1 – 30 November 2025
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