The Post-Easter Reboot

With Easter holidays in Hong Kong typically filled with a rush to catch short-haul flights, egg hunts with little ones and feasting on an overload of chocolate and hot cross buns, there’s a good chance you might be feeling a little run down – both physically and mentally – post-break.

To help you bounce back, we’ve called on a handful of Hong Kong experts across the fields of fitness, well-being and nutrition to share their top tips for recovering after an indulgent, jam-packed period.

You’ll be back to your best self in no time!

‘If you want to ramp up your fitness routine after an indulgent period, a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workout is one of my favourites, which combines a mixture of cardio, high-intensity drills and quickness and balance training. I’d also recommend giving Nike Training Club (NTC) a go. It’s a free app where you can select tonnes of different workouts according to your needs across areas of endurance, mobility, strength and yoga. You can even share your thoughts and results with your friends via the app. And try to make training or running part of your daily routine – like brushing your teeth!’ – Utah Lee, Fitness Instructor and Nike Master Trainer

‘Good old water not only supports optimal metabolism but it may also naturally curb your appetite and help you feel better fast after a period of food and booze indulgence. Avoid carbonated beverages like soda water or diet soft drinks – even though they contain no calories, they still have air, which can get trapped in your body and leave you feeling like a balloon. Drinking more water helps flush out excess sodium to help you quickly de-bloat, and it gets things moving in your gastrointestinal tract. Aim for 2 to 2.5 litres a day, and more after exercising. Not a fan of plain old water? Try infusing fruits into it by adding any fresh citrus fruit, herbs, and spices.’ - Michelle Lau, Registered Nutritionist (MSc.) and Founder of Nutrilicious, HK-based nutrition consultancy company.

‘After a holiday overindulging in food, wine and relaxation, I find it easier to bounce back when I have a routine in place to come back to. Lock in days where you’ll work out, book classes in advance and pack the fridge with healthier options at the beginning of the week, so you can start meal planning and eating out less. For me, cooking simple meals at home after overeating restaurant food is the best way to feel more like myself.’ - Morgan Guth, Pure Yoga teacher and founder of The Well Dressed Workout 

‘If you’re struggling to reset mentally after being in holiday mode, there’s a simple exercise I’d recommend. Start asking yourself five questions at the end of every night, as a way of reflection. 1) Did I live fully today? 2) What could I have done differently to make it better? 3) Were the people who I engaged with, or the things I did today aligned with my inner happiness? 4) How does my heart feel about the things I did today or the people I engaged with? 5) Can I do better tomorrow? If so, how? Write your answers in a journal, or answer via voice memo, and then read or listen back to what you wrote the next morning as a reminder. It’ll make you more likely to live the next day better. Eventually, it will become a routine, and you will catch yourself making more mindful decisions and engaging more mindfully with others.’ - Corie Chu, personal development coach, metaphysical practitioner and founder of MindBodySoulAsia.com