This Week in Health and Fitness: Stay Healthy During Golden Week

If you're staying in Beijing during Golden Week, then the prospect of a whole eight days off work on the horizon may tempt you to spend the whole time lying on the couch. Rather than developing a delivery pizza dependency, why not take advantage of the extra time to cultivate a new fitness habit or even just get outside and enjoy what promises to be a week of good weather. Here are a few suggestions for how to stay healthy during Golden Week. 

Try a new type of exercise
Golden Week is the perfect time to break out of your boring gym habit and try something new. Take dance, for example, a great form of cardio and, in the case of pole dancing, a way to strengthen muscles, too. Cat Dance Studio in Jianwai Soho is offering free classes from Oct 2-5. Try pole dancing, jazz, urban or hip-hop.

Try a new gym
B Active has just opened their third 24-hour gym in the city, this time settling into Dongzhimenwai, hoping to attract the nearby embassy crowd. As well as the zero excuses a 24/7 gym affords you, you can expect the same good standard of bilingual services, quality equipment, and affordable prices at this new branch.

Work on your yoga practice
Yoga instructor Yiyang (who has trained extensively in India) holds a program of weekly yoga classes at her home in Dongzhimen. Usual classes include Ashtanga Vinyasa, Hatha, Meditation, and pre- and post-natal yoga. During the October holiday, she is offering twice-daily Ashtanga yoga classes (10am and 4pm) at the special price of RMB 70 per class for a seven-class pass or RMB 85 per class for a four-class pass (drop-ins also welcome at RMB 100). Add HomeYogaBeijing on WeChat for more information about classes, schedule, and pricing. Classes and passes can be purchased via her WeChat store. 

Enjoy good deals at healthy restaurants
From Oct 1-8, Obentos are offering 20 percent off delivery orders or a free children's chicken teriyaki bento for families that spend over RMB 150 in store. Note that some restaurants may be closed during the holiday (for example, Glo Kitchen is closed from 2pm on Sep 29 to Oct 7), so be sure to call ahead. 

Take a hike
Thanks to cooler temperatures and the chance of beautiful views of autumnal leaves, October is one of the very best times to go hiking in Beijing. While Golden Week may make for larger crowds in some popular hiking areas around Beijing (i.e. any section of the Great Wall), if you get off the beaten path you will still be able to find some peace and quiet. Beijing Hikers are offering a number of different hikes during the October holidays, including walks at Huanghuacheng, Longquanyu Great Wall, and in the Miyun countryside. Alternatively, a great way to lessen the impact of traffic on your trip out of the city is to stay somewhere overnight. ChinaHiking is offering a two-day hiking trip including overnight camping on the Great Wall on Oct 1, priced at RMB 1,000 per person. 

More stories by this author here.

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Images: Pixabay, Wikimedia, B Active