Hong Kong is moving away from the solitary pursuit of physical perfection towards a more social approach to health, according to one industry veteran, who believes the “looking good” era is being replaced by a need to “feel good”.
With more than a decade of industry experience, Charlz Ng Cheuk-ho, the former co-owner of House of Fitness gym, has spent much of his career building the city’s wellness infrastructure.
As the former managing director of Hybrid Group, he helped bring the Spartan Race to Hong Kong and oversaw major festivals such as IRIS: Your Escape, a wellness and yoga event, and the Fitness and Wellness Expo, which together attracted more than 100,000 participants.
The pivot to community connection is a change best illustrated by Ng’s own routine. A year ago, he would go to the gym alone; today, his Thursdays revolve around a 100-strong running club at Tamar Park.
“The trend post-pandemic shows that when there is an offline event, people are genuinely excited for it,” the 36-year-old said, adding that Gen Z was moving away from nightclubs and towards “collective participation” activities.
Ng pointed at pickleball and Pilates as examples of sports “growing faster than ever” that highlight a global shift Hong Kong in particular needs “because we have less of these experiences for people to really get out for”.
