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Petronella jogs along Tung Street in Sheung Wan. 06MAY26 SCMP / Elson Li
Wellness

This mother of 3 who runs a restaurant also wins gruelling trail races. How?

Hongkonger Petronella Harlin balances tough endurance races with a demanding front-of-house hospitality role and raising three kids under 10.

Wellness

Being optimistic can lower dementia risk by 15%, Harvard study finds

Wellness

Want help getting yoga poses right? AI-powered app analyses your photos

Wellness

The difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ stress and how to beat the harmful kind

Clinical psychologists explain the two types of stress and how to calm ourselves with methods like nerve stimulation and analogue hobbies.

Stress can be either “good” or “bad” depending on the trigger, say clinical psychologists, who explain how to beat the bad kind and avoid the associated health risks through everything from knitting and gardening to using gadgets. Illustration: Shutterstock
Stress can be either “good” or “bad” depending on the trigger, say clinical psychologists, who explain how to beat the bad kind and avoid the associated health risks through everything from knitting and gardening to using gadgets. Illustration: Shutterstock
Wellness

No membership required: Hong Kong parks are this coach’s gym of choice

Ash Ayonote’s outdoor fitness classes in Hong Kong public spaces unite generations of families, boost longevity and build community.

Wellness

Why tai chi and qigong are great for health, and English classes in Hong Kong

The Chinese ‘internal’ arts of tai chi and qigong offer a host of health benefits and are slowly becoming more accessible to English speakers.

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Wellness

This fit former bodybuilder thought pole would be easy. He was wrong

Hong Kong-born LA resident Ray Kayan found that gym strength means little on the fitness pole, an activity he finds ‘empowering’.

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Ray Kayan performs graceful moves on a fitness pole, which require great strength and flexibility. Pole performance has been growing as a form of fitness since the 58-year-old started, even among men. Photo: Facebook/Ray Leung
Ray Kayan performs graceful moves on a fitness pole, which require great strength and flexibility. Pole performance has been growing as a form of fitness since the 58-year-old started, even among men. Photo: Facebook/Ray Leung
Wellness

Want to do Hyrox? Hong Kong coaches explain how to train and prepare

Hong Kong Hyrox coaches explain training methods, what to avoid and why carbs are good, plus why it’s important to choose your race wisely.

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Wellness

From wine critic to representing Hong Kong in the world’s fastest-growing sport

Now one of Asia’s fastest Hyrox athletes, former wine critic Claire Nesbitt helps others achieve their Hyrox and other fitness goals.

Wellness

1 in 4 people are ‘Alzheimer’s gene’ carriers like Chris Hemsworth. What to do

APOE4 comes with a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease, but the 25 per cent of people who have it can lower that risk with lifestyle changes.

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Chris Hemsworth famously carries a pair of APOE4 gene alleles, which makes his risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease significantly greater than non-carriers. A doctor who also carries two APOE4s explains how lifestyle changes can significantly affect the development of the condition. Photo: Instagram/chrishemsworth
Wellness

How to sleep better, from bedtimes to regularity – what the research says

Sleep research has come a long way in the last decade. Here’s what you need to know to help make your slumber better.

According to British neuroscientist Matthew Walker, mastering sleep requires managing three main factors: regularity, timing and continuity. Photo: Shutterstock
According to British neuroscientist Matthew Walker, mastering sleep requires managing three main factors: regularity, timing and continuity. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Healing like Wolverine? Why peptide stacking is taking off and risks involved

Taking multiple synthetic peptides to target goals like weight loss, muscle growth and injury recovery is not without its risks, experts say.

Wellness

Do you feel more anxious after googling symptoms? You could have cyberchondria

Also known as ‘Dr Google syndrome’, cyberchondria can lead to depression or, at worst, illness anxiety disorder.

Wellness

How this 60-year-old Singaporean is defying age through pole dancing and fashion

Known on TikTok as the ‘Corridor Runway Aunty’, Vicsland Poh proves that a person’s silver years can be full of new challenges and knowledge.

Vicsland Poh enjoys the challenge of doing difficult pole-dancing tricks such as spins and inversions. The 60-year-old Singaporean who regularly posts her fashion photos on her TikTok and Instagram accounts is showing others how to age well. Photo: Courtesy of Vicsland Poh
Wellness

The 10-minute morning exercise workout that millions of Japanese people do

Over 20 million people in Japan practice a Radio Taiso session at least once a week in a country with one of the highest life expectancies.

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People perform a stretching exercise while listening to a Radio Taiso programme in a public park in Tokyo, Japan, on April 6, 2026. Photo: AP
People perform a stretching exercise while listening to a Radio Taiso programme in a public park in Tokyo, Japan, on April 6, 2026. Photo: AP
Wellness

What is ‘nonnamaxxing’? Viral health trend embraces Italian grandma’s lifestyle

Daily walks, gardening, cooking from scratch – whatever an Italian grandmother would typically do, Gen Z are going wild for online.

Wellness

Are you ageing well? 5 simple tests to get a picture of your biological age

Particularly useful for over-50s, these simple physical tests can give you a better idea of your biological age and highlight any red flags.

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Wellness

Are ice baths good for you? What you need to know before taking the plunge

Ice baths and cold plunges are springing up across Hong Kong, but will traditional Chinese medicine ideas freeze them out of the market?

Cold-water immersion such as ice baths and cold plunges are said to come with a host of health benefits, but one possible cultural counter-current in Hong Kong could be traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories. Photo: Shutterstock
Cold-water immersion such as ice baths and cold plunges are said to come with a host of health benefits, but one possible cultural counter-current in Hong Kong could be traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

How a zoo’s sights, sounds and smells can benefit people with dementia

Tour programmes at Berlin Zoo for people with dementia are helping them feel part of society and even jogging happy childhood memories.

Wellness

Is your family addicted to screens and junk food? How to change their habits

In her book Dopamine Kids, Michaeleen Doucleff examines our reliance on ‘magnets’ that hamper happiness and explains how to overcome them.

Wellness

‘Hero of his own life’: how this Hongkonger beat high cholesterol in 12 months

Shashank Gangil had high cholesterol, signs of fatty liver and plantar fasciitis. Here’s how he got in top shape before his twins were born.

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Compose photo of Shashank Gangli for the story WW NEW DAD WEIGHT LOSS. Photo: handout
Wellness

How cooking can help lower your dementia risk – even just 1 meal a week

Experts say the processes involved in cooking, from grocery shopping to following recipes, can all have a positive impact on brain health.

A recent study suggests that cooking at home, even once a week, lowers a person’s dementia risk. Photo: Shutterstock
A recent study suggests that cooking at home, even once a week, lowers a person’s dementia risk. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

What menopause products actually work? Doctors share how to buy wisely

From skin serums and rings to lotions and gadgets, products promising to help women with menopause symptoms are everywhere now.

Wellness

Feng shui guru who’s helped the Rolling Stones, Steven Spielberg gives top tips

Marie Diamond talks about her journey to becoming a feng shui and manifestation master and gives tips on how to turn desires into reality.

Wellness

Got knee pain? How exercise can help you avoid surgery, as a rugby player found

Exercise and other therapies are often preferred treatment alternatives to knee replacement surgery. Rob Naylor experienced this first-hand.

Tim McCosker (kneeling), a physiotherapist at CoreOFit Physio, works with his patient, former Hong Kong rugby player Rob Naylor, at the clinic in Causeway Bay. Photo: Jonathan Wong
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