Showing all Fitness Blogs for Singapore

Why not treat yourself to a visit to one of Singapore's quaintest attractions? Find out all about this quirky little place below.

The history of the Sembawang hot spring

Found in 1903, this little spring was almost turned into a commercial venture. However, this fell through, mainly due to the fact that nobody knew where the water was coming from and if it was sustainable. However, more than 100 years later, the water is still running and is boiling hot! The spring was discovered by the son of Seah Liang Seah, the famous Chinese pioneer and namesake of many a steamboat buffet. A well was built by the spring, and it became popular with villagers who used the water for its healing powers. The spring became more and more famous, eventually attracting the attention of a soft drinks firm. They began to bottle the water but the flow was interrupted after being hit by a Japanese bomb during 1942. After conquering Singapore, the Japanese eventually began to build baths in the area. Interestingly, the spring was visited most frequently by gamblers, who took good luck baths before heading to the casino. Later, the Sembawang Air Base acquired the land but agreed to preserve the spring, due to its popularity.

How to get to Sembawang springs.

The spring is located on Gambas Avenue, between Sembawang and Yishun. Exit the Yishun MRT from exit C. If travelling by bus, take the 858 or 969 and get off 4 stops after exit C at Sembawang Road. Walk towards the overhead bridge and continue straight down the road. Take the left at the first junction where you can see the HDB Centre of Building Research. Keep going along the road until you see the two red signs. Enter through the gate and follow the path which will take you to the hot spring. The gate will only be open from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm daily.  

The spring itself

The spring is locked inside a concrete structure but there is access to the hot water from a tap. Many people collect water in buckets and fill a paddling pool in order to enjoy the spring. Some people even take a shower directly from the taps, there are more than one tap, so don’t worry if some are already in use. The spring is visited by all ages looking to feel the benefits of its supposedly restorative properties for skin complaints such as eczema and conditions such as arthritis.  If you ask the caretaker, he will provide you with a bucket and a towel to make your own foot bath. Some visitors even bring eggs to boil as a snack! Whilst the experience is not exactly like that of a first class spa, it is certainly much cheaper (free, in fact) and a lot more fun.  

Have you ever visited the hot spring at Sembawang? Comment below with your experiences!

Jurong East Swimming Complex

This one is the largest in Singapore and it also has the best slides of all. There are three intertwined spiral slides as well as a wave pool with music. If you really want to cool off, try to stay near the rock caverns as they routinely spray water to resemble a storm. The complex offers plenty of shade and even jets to cool you down if it starts to feel too much. Tickets for a family of four are S$10 and remember to take spare change to use the lockers. Many of the rides are signposted with signs encouraging children to eat healthily and feature the calorie count of some of the nation’s best dishes. Some might be better not to look at!   Jurong East Swimming Complex, 21 Jurong East Street 31.  

Our Tampines Hub

Our Tampines Hub has recently been upgraded and offers a stunning rooftop pool, where the views over the city are unparalleled. They have six pools in total so you don’t have to worry about fighting for space, plus for those who want to relax, there is a jacuzzi. The children’s pool is garden-themed and has water fountatins, water guns and a mini waterfall. For those who are a little more serious about swimming, there is a huge eight lane training pool which is big enough to sail in.   Our Tampines Hub, Level 6, 1 Tampines Walk  

Splash @ Kidz Amaze

This is the first indoor water playground in Singapore and is specially geared towards kiddies. It is slightly pricier than the others and a family of four can cost S$28 for members. Expect to pay S$40 for non-members. You really get your money’s worth as you can play for hours here. There are multiple play zones, five water slides and an Enchanted Deep Sea. They also host kid’s birthday parties, for all ages.   9 Sentul Crescent, Punggol 

Sengkang Swimming Complex

Another popular choice this swimming centre has plenty to entertain children of all ages. There are some huge water slides and even ones specially designed for little kids. Best of all, they have a huge bucket of water where you can drench your kids, or vice versa. For families with older children, there is a jacuzzi where you can relax away from all the noise.   Sengkang Swimming Complex, 57 Anchorvale Road  

Choa Chu Kang Swimming Complex

This complex is enormous and it has some great features, such as a lazy river where you can sail in a boat. Their wave pool is also great fun and there is a specially designed water playground for toddlers. One of the more economic options, the complex is a great option for families who want to have fun and enjoy the summer sunshine.   Choa Chu Kang Swimming Complex, 1 Choa Chu Kang Street 53  

Where do you like to take the family to swim? Comment below with your recommendations!

Travelling can be a meaningful, enjoyable and memorable experience for all the right reasons. Yet sometimes it is possible that we start to feel a little under the weather. It can be hard to stay healthy when relocating to another country as there are so many other preoccupations. Multiply that with travelling and suddenly, you find yourself bed-ridden. However, there are some preventative measures you can take and here is a list of our top ten tricks to stay healthy whilst on the road.  

Hygiene first

It may sound obvious but when we are in the middle of a full bout of wanderlust, we often forget certain protocol that we would never abandon in ‘real life’. That means staying away from street food that may look tempting but does not practice effective hygiene. This advice does not mean you have to miss out on trying some local delicacies but exercise caution and common sense. It also goes without saying that washing your hands should take priority. If there are no facilities available, buy some antibacterial hand gel as a safety net. It also makes sense to wash your hands after using public transport as it can be a hotbed for germs.  

Watch your water

Again, it sounds like common sense but it is wise not to drink anything that has not been purified. In slightly more upscale restaurants, there should be no need to worry but when you are on the road, it is best to only drink out of a bottle or can. It is also a good idea to leave out the ice, no matter how hot it is. It might seem refreshing at the time but you could regret it later. Watch out for beer bottles that arrive already opened  too. The beauty of travelling around Asia is trying exotic fruits and juices but again keep an eye out for the water supply. It might be handy to have a bottle of water on hand to rinse off the fruit and try to steer clear of vendors who have ice from an unknown source. 

Eat wisely

Try out vegetarianism for a day or two

As well as being allegedly healthier, sticking to vegetables for a few days may be a good idea whilst you are acclimatising. This does not mean you have to avoid meat entirely but if you are unsure, there are plenty of other options which still enable you to enjoy food on the go. Vegetables are far less likely to give you an upset stomach, as well as giving you an energy boost if your immune system has taken a hammering. Asian dishes usually have an array of fresh vegetables in them, and all of them are delicious. Served with rice and some spicy sauce, you can have a great meal without any of the worry that you are going to spend the next day feeling green around the gills.  

Be prepared

A lot of people swear by probiotic supplements or herbal remedies to alleviate any symptoms before or as they happen. Carrying a supply of chamomile tea is often the salvation your stomach needs after a dodgy dish. Acidophilus pills are also quite common in helping to adjust our stomachs to new foods. Whether this may work for you or not is a question of testing it out, but it might be worth considering as you prepare for your trip. Certainly, having some anti-diarrhea pills and pain killers may be wise if you do find yourself caught out. Prevention is often better than cure, so speak to your pharmacist before travelling to see if they have any recommendations.  

Do you have any tricks for staying healthy on the road? Comment with your suggestions below!

Singaporeans have a saying, ‘kiasu’, a Hokkien and Singlish word that means a grasping, selfish attitude. Derived from ‘kia’ “afraid” and ‘su’ “lose”, the term is literally translated as “afraid to lose”.

In more ways than one, this “never say die” attitude has seeped into the Singaporean way of life, from serious competition for straight A’s in school to feeling downright guilty when one clocks off from work at 6:00pm sharp. Sounds ‘kiasu’, right? But the peer pressure remains powerful as ever, not just for hard working Singaporeans but also for highly driven expats based in Singapore who willingly respond to emails at all hours and donate much of their off-hours to work.

Working longer hours increases stroke risk by up to 30%

PARIS (AFP) - According to a research published back in August 2015, working 55 hours or more per week is linked to a one-third greater risk of stroke compared with a 35 to 40-hour work week.

The review of 17 studies covered 528,908 men and women over an average span of 7.2 years. Increased stroke risk remained once smoking, alchohol consumption and level of physical activity were taken into account. The study, published in The Lancet, found that compared with people who logged a standard week, those working between 41 and 48 hours had a 10 percent higher risk, while for those working 49 to 54 hours, the risk jumped by 27 per cent. Working 55 hours or more a week increased the risk of having a stroke by 33 per cent, the study showed.

Working longer hours is also bad for a company’s bottom line in the long run

Even the most slave-master of employers would concur from evidence that: cracking the whip actually costs the company more loss in terms of employee absenteeism, higher turnover, and rising health insurance costs, when employees have to put in excessively long hours at work.