20120306 health post

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL

HEALTH POST How the strip club staple became a mainstream fitness tool >PAGE 6

Pole positions

TUMMY TWINGE TURNS SERIOUS

PARK LIFE: ON THE RUN IN BEIJING

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

2 NEWS APP OF THE WEEK

HEALTH BITES

Aerobic fitness takes a monumental step up

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Katie McGregor healthpost@scmp.com Monumental – Stair Climbing Game Free Rating 9/10 Lines get blurred with Monumental, the stair-climbing game. It is a fitness app, but the graphics are cartoonish, so you can almost imagine you are at home playing a computer game.

In this app you are a tourist visiting monuments around the world. As you climb stairs in the real world, an in-app accelerometer records your progress, and so you ascend monuments in the virtual world.

Before starting the climb, the building is greyed out, but as you make your way up it is revealed. At the top, you are rewarded with a real photo of the view. Strangely, the promise of this image provided me with sufficient motivation.

In fact, I climbed up one more flight of stairs than was necessary so that I could “reach” the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy to check out the view. I even got a tacky souvenir, which is kept in a virtual display cabinet for me to admire later.

The app provides 11 buildings to climb, such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. There is a set sequence of buildings to scale so you cannot skip ahead to climb a building of your choice.

The only thing that made this app less enjoyable than it could have been was that my friends wouldn’t join in. The app allows you to invite Facebook friends to join the game and compete against each other, with each person’s step count recorded on a leader board.

Friends or no friends, the app keeps me climbing instead of taking the lift. Of course, you could use it in the gym and probably achieve all the buildings in a week, and there is nothing to stop you setting that as your goal and restarting next week.

So for the time being I am at the top of my own solitary leader board and will keep on climbing to check out the view – until I realise that it would be far easier to Google it.

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Ageing happily, or not Experts warn that the number of elderly depression and suicide cases are set to rise and encourage the public to be “gatekeepers” of their family’s emotional health. It is estimated that, in 2033, a quarter of Hongkongers will be aged 65 or above. Of these, neurology specialist Dr Chung Chunpong points out, 20 to 30 per cent will suffer from depression. Depression is closely related to chronic disease, the experts say, and could form a “mutual vicious cycle”.

Dr Chiu Siu-ning, a psychiatrist, says the elderly are prone to getting several chronic diseases at once, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, joint degeneration and Parkinson’s. The burden of taking drugs for more than one of these conditions and depression means drug compliance is often low. The experts suggest a new generation of once-daily antidepressants – serotonin and brain adrenaline regulators, said to be safer and more effective – could help increase compliance.

Decisions, decisions Considering changing jobs and feeling stressed about it?

You might want to pause for the cause. Stress changes how one weighs risk and reward, according to a new review paper published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. University of Southern California researchers have found that when people are put under stress – by being told to hold their hand in iced water for a few minutes, for example – they start focusing on positive information and discounting negative ones. The researchers say this helps explain why people under stress have a harder time controlling their urges. “The compulsion to get that reward gets stronger and they’re less able to resist it,” says Mara Mather, the report’s co-author.

Is the increased salary at that new job worth more than the worse commute? Breathe easy, think hard.

DRUGS

Sleeping pills found to increase risk of death ......................................................

Sarah Boseley

ASK THE DOCTORS Q: In January, my husband and I flew to Rio de Janeiro from Los Angeles, as we have done many times. But this time, we had jet lag like never before at both ends of the trip. And the fact that it happened to both of us, both ways, same symptoms, makes me wonder whether the plane had been pressurised differently than usual. Is it possible that caused our jet lag?

A: Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Robert Sack says about 30 million people suffer from jet lag, which kicks in after five time zones are crossed and your body clock gets confused about the time. Jet lag has a variety of symptoms, including insomnia, digestive upset and cognitive impairment, he notes. That means there are about 30 million zombies out there with bad stomachs at any given time.

It is not clear why some people suffer horribly from jet lag while others do not, says Dr Charles Ericsson, head of travel medicine and a professor of medicine at the University of Texas’ medical school in Houston. It could be genetics, he says.

But as we age, we don’t tolerate time changes as well.

Ryan Hays, assistant professor of neurology and neurotherapeutics at the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, says other factors include the direction of travel [east versus west], the time of departure or arrival and how well-rested the person is prior to travel.

Whether cabin pressurisation is the culprit, or at least a contributing factor, is unknown. What is clear is that flying can make you feel lousy.

“Typical cabin pressures mimic an elevation of around 2,438 metres above sea level,” says Dr Tanvir Hussain, a Los Angeles cardiologist. “At sea level, a typical person’s blood oxygen saturation [a measure of the amount of oxygen being carried by red blood cells] may be around 98 per cent.” At 2,438 metres, “a healthy person’s blood oxygen saturation will drop to around 90 per cent or so.”

That can cause mild hypoxia and alkalosis, “a mild acid-based imbalance in the blood,” he says. “It’s a combination of mild hypoxia and alkalosis that is thought to cause the soft symptoms of jet lag, such as nausea, headache, fatigue – essentially a mild form of altitude sickness.” McClatchy-Tribune

> CONTACT US Deputy Culture Editor: Choong Tet Sieu tetsieu.choong@scmp.com Health Post Editor: Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com General inquiries: healthpost@scmp.com Advertising: tel: 2565 2435; e-mail advertising@scmp.com

Doctors are calling for a rethink of the use of sleeping pills after a large study showed that the drugs carry a substantially increased risk of death for those who are prescribed them.

Commonly used sleeping pills, or “hypnotics”, such as temazepam and zolpidem, which is prescribed for short-term insomnia, are associated with up to five times higher risk of death, according to the study published in the BMJ Open journal.

The study was done in the US, where up to 10 per cent of the adult population took sleeping pills in 2010. The authors estimate that sleeping pills may have been associated with 320,000 to 507,000 extra deaths in the US that year.

The researchers, led by Daniel Kripke from the Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Centre in La Jolla, California, studied the population served by the largest rural integrated health care system in America, in Pennsylvania.

Over a 2½-year period, they compared the death rates among more than 10,500 people who received sleeping pill prescriptions with those of more than 23,600 others – matched for age, state of health and other factors – who had not received such medication. The average age of the group was 54.

Even at a relatively low rate of prescription – fewer than 18 doses a year – those who were prescribed the pills had a 3.5 times greater risk of death compared with those who weren’t.

Those who had taken the most

Up to 10 per cent of US adults took sleeping pills in 2010. Photo: Corbis

Those who had taken the most pills were 35 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer pills were 35 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer – although they had not been at greater risk of cancer than the control group before the study began.

Just showing an association between sleeping pills and more deaths does not prove the pills are the cause, the authors point out, although the increased risk as the number of doses went up points in that direction. But there have been other studies that have also appeared to detect an increased death risk with sleeping pills.

The doctors say there are many ways in which sleeping pills might shorten life. Such medication has been shown to increase depression, which can trigger suicide. They also interfere with motor and cognitive skills, which makes driving dangerous, and can cause sleep apnoea, which can lead to heart problems.

Some people taking the pills sleepwalk, which can be hazardous, and eat at night, “resulting in poor diet and obesity”, says the paper.

In the study, people on sleeping pills were more likely to have oesophageal problems and peptic ulcers. They were more likely to be diagnosed with lymphomas, lung, colon and prostate cancers even than smokers.

Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has given qualified approval to the shortterm use of sleeping pills. The authors suggest it may be time to reconsider even that limited green light. Guardian News & Media

NEWS 3 Race for charity Swim, cycle and run for a good cause at the city’s newest triathlon next month. The Zoot – Atomic Man Turbo Charged Triathlon on Sunday, April 8, will benefit Aids Concern, Hong Kong’s first Aids NGO started in 1990.

Held at the Hong Kong Science Park, the race consists of a 750 metre swim, 20 kilometre bike ride and five kilometre run. There will be individual and relay events, and a team time trial – a first for a local triathlon race.

Sign up at www.26events.com; fees start from HK$380 for individuals.

Help her to keep fighting A local patient group wants you to urge the government to resume crucial medical treatment for Chung Wing-kei, five, who is dying from a rare disease. The supporters, rallying under the banner of the Hong Kong Mucopolysaccharidoses and Rare Genetic Diseases Mutual Aid Group (HKMPS) hopes united public support will persuade the Hospital Authority to reverse its decision to stop funding her treatment, which costs more than HK$90,000 a month. Wing-kei has Pompe disease, a slow degenerative condition. Without treatment, it’s predicted she’ll have at best a year to live. HKMPS say the government “cannot neglect the fact that the treatment helps slow down [Wing-kei’s] health deterioration and extends her lifespan”. They urge the public to mail enquiry@ha.org.hk (cc mps@hk-mps.com) to voice their support.

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Paint the town purple – that’s what one Hong Kong charity hopes the community will do to help raise awareness of epilepsy this month.

Purple – lavender, to be precise – is the colour that’s universally associated with the chronic neurological disorder, in which sufferers have recurrent seizures.

Organised by Enlighten-Action for Epilepsy, the campaign coincides with the city’s Epilepsy Awareness Month as well as the organisation’s 10th anniversary.

About 65,000 people have the condition in Hong Kong, says Enlighten, “but we hardly hear about them or the condition, as most of them find coping with the social challenges a lot more difficult than living with their epilepsy”. Sufferers often live with the fear of discrimination, seclusion and community prejudice. There are many possible causes of epilepsy, although about half of all seizures have no known cause.

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Do you know what stinks? You may be using air-fresheners at home or in your car which contain air-polluting chemicals that can make you sick.

Some of the most popular airfresheners on the market contain phthalates, high doses of which are known to cause birth defects and cancer. There’s nothing too sweet smelling about that. Here are our top seven safe alternatives to toxic air-fresheners.

3. Soya bean candles No one wants to light a scented candle only to breathe in petroleum

Mystique and misconceptions have contributed to the stigma.

So this month, Enlighten hopes to work with retail outlets, schools, NGOs, companies, associations and the public to help spread awareness and knowledge of epilepsy by putting up posters, handing out brochures and collecting donations. More ideas at www.enlightenhk.org.

To get involved, e-mail purple@enlightenhk.org or call 2820 0111.

Meanwhile, test yourself on how much you know about epilepsy here with this test.

1. According to the first populationbased epidemiological survey of epilepsy in Hong Kong, published in Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, in 2008, the crude prevalence of active epilepsy in the territory is a. 1.36 per 1,000 b. 3.94 per 1,000 c. 4.68 per 1,000 2. Which of the following could trigger a seizure in epilepsy patients? a. Loud noises and flashing lights b. Illnesses with high fever c. Playing mahjong

4. Epilepsy can be treated with a. Special diet b. Medication c. Surgery Answers: 1. b; 2. All are correct; 3. c (best thing is to protect the person from injury, cushion the head and remain till the seizure ends); 4. All are correct.

and doors when you are trying to get rid of offending smells – without covering them up with chemicals. If grandma used to do it, it’ll probably work for you.

Terri Bennett

2. White vinegar Vinegar is another all-natural – and super-effective – solution for tough odours. You can use it in the washing machine or dishwasher to tackle tough smells or put some in small containers around your home to soak up unwanted odours.

3. When a person is having a seizure, what should you put in their mouth? a. A spoon b. A finger c. Nothing

Purple is the symbolic colour for epilepsy awareness

Breathe easy with alternative air-fresheners

1. Baking soda Non-toxic baking soda is cheap, safe and versatile. It can be sprinkled on or in everything from rubbish bins to carpets to running shoes. It doesn’t cover up smells; instead, it absorbs and neutralises them without releasing any pollutants.

QUIZ ......................................................

FRESH THINKING

5. Essential oils Essential oils are plant-based oils that come in all sorts of soothing scents, such as lavender and lemon grass. Putting a few drops of your favourite onto cotton balls is a safer way to scent your home.

You can also add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water, as another way to freshen up the air.

Let baking soda absorb smells in your home. Photo: Corbis

6. Spice it up Boiling a little water with a sweetsmelling spice such as cinnamon or nutmeg will make your home smell downright delicious.

Other good options are ginger or allspice.

by-products. When you burn paraffin candles, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Instead, opt for natural beeswax candles or ones made from soya bean wax, which come in every scent imaginable.

7. Buy non-toxic alternatives Eco Breeze by Earth Friendly Products helps refresh fabrics and upholstery. Method also sells aroma rings in many non-toxic scents.

McClatchy-Tribune

4. Open the windows Did you know that the air inside our homes is often more polluted than the air outside? That’s another reason to open up those windows

Terri Bennett is a veteran television meteorologist, author and founder of DoYourPart, everyday green living ideas that are better for you and the planet

4 MEDICAL CASE HISTORY

Mild symptoms mask an insidious ......................................................

Eileen Aung-Thwin healthpost@scmp.com When Cecilia Lin, 40, first noticed that her lower abdomen was a little swollen and uncomfortable, she thought little of it. She had never had any health concerns and the discomfort was slight.

But the seemingly minor symptoms persisted, and a month later, Lin (name changed for patient confidentiality reasons) decided it best to see a doctor.

As Lin’s build was slight – she weighed barely 40kg – the distension of her abdomen was especially prominent when she lay on the examination table. Her doctor ordered an ultrasound scan, which showed a 20cm large mass on her ovary.

The mass comprised both solid and liquid parts, which was a worrying sign. Ovarian cysts are like liquid-filled balloons.

Malignant tumours present with solid areas. Suspecting ovarian cancer, he referred her to a gynaecological oncologist.

Lin saw Dr Tam Kar-fai, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital. During the examination, Tam found that the mass in Lin’s abdomen was mobile – a good sign that it had probably not invaded other surrounding organs and structures.

He also ordered a blood test to check for an ovarian cancer marker called CA125 that shows up in 80 per cent of patients with

the cancer. Lin had elevated CA125 levels. Although the test result was not diagnostic, it gave Tam enough reason to perform a laparotomy, which is a surgery to open up the abdomen to gain a definitive diagnosis and determine how far the cancer might have advanced.

Before surgery, Lin was given chest X-rays to ensure that her lungs were healthy. Some patients who exhibit bowel symptoms will also be checked for CEA markers presented by bowel tumours. Tam says it is common for bowel tumours to metastasise or spread to the ovaries.

Tam also discussed the surgical plan with Lin. As she was still fairly young and had never been pregnant, Lin hoped to keep her uterus and at least one ovary and fallopian tube.

However, if Tam’s findings during surgery were less than promising, he would maximise her survival rate by removing all her reproductive organs.

Lin was placed under general anaesthesia. As the mass was located fairly high up in the abdomen, Tam opted to make an

If the mass was cancerous and it ruptured, it would significantly raise the stage of the cancer

Illustration: Angela Ho

FROM THE EXPERTS

Sleep-deprived Hongkongers living in the twilight zone ......................................................

Dr Paul Pang healthpost@scmp.com Macy is a registered nurse who works the night shift from midnight to 8am. She relishes the flexibility of being able to take care of her children and family matters during the day when she’s not on duty. And being able to make use of the late evenings to look after her children gives her a strong sense of being a mother. However, Macy admits that her energy and alertness suffer as a result.

“I desperately need a double espresso every day,” says Macy.

In her down time, she is often lethargic and exhausted. At work, although Macy maintains her professionalism and self-esteem, she says that she tends to feel irritable and increasingly looks forward to her breaks. “I feel that

the quantity and quality of the work which I can produce becomes lower and lower [as the workday goes on],” she says.

Macy is not alone. Nearly 40 per cent of adults in Hong Kong report that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily activities, according to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research last year. And 13 per cent of people admit to napping during work hours. The Health Department’s 2008 Behavioural Risk Factor Survey found that 37 per cent of adults aged 18 to 64 in the city said they hadn’t had enough sleep for at least 10 days in the month prior to the survey.

Also, the boundary between work and home is becoming increasingly blurred.

Hongkongers are working longer, averaging 4½ hours of overtime at home each week on top of the

Almost one-third of employees in Hong Kong report that sleepiness interferes with their daily activities at least a few days a month

average 9½-hour work days.

People who work long hours often display more impatience, lower productivity and find it harder to concentrate.

As is common in all big cities there are many occupations in Hong Kong which require roundthe-clock working rosters. Fields as diverse as sales, finance, trading, law enforcement, health care and manufacturing operate on rotating schedules. Also, many people don’t realise that they are exhausting themselves with frequent use of mobile phones, the internet, social media sites and television. The body’s biological clock and hormones are confused.

People who do not sleep well are often fatigued, nod off in meetings or, worse still, when driving, find it difficult to concentrate, suffer lapses in memory, perform poorly at work,

experience emotional changes (such as becoming more snappy or irritable), and have a weakened immune system leading to problems such as heart disease.

If you work at a computer, it’s no big deal, but if you drive a motor vehicle, it’s a big problem.

To sleep better, try these tips: • Evaluate the priorities of your work and personal matters.

• Strive for better time

FITNESS 5 BRIDAL BOOTCAMP WEEK 5

disease 8cm incision down the middle of the abdomen along the imaginary line between the navel and the sternum (breastbone). He wanted to ensure that he had enough access so he could remove the mass with minimal risk of rupturing. If the mass was cancerous and it ruptured, it would significantly raise the stage of the cancer and affect the prognosis by spreading cancer cells throughout the abdomen.

Once the incision was made, saline was poured into the abdominal cavity where it washed around the organs. The same saline was then extracted to check if cancer cells had spread to other parts of the abdomen. This process is called peritoneal washing for cytology, and helps to stage the cancer. Tam stresses the importance of proper staging of cancer in order to appropriately treat and arrest the disease.

Tam then located the mass, which came from the right ovary and caused the right fallopian tube to swell. He then performed a salpingooophorectomy – removal of the ovary and fallopian tube.

The mass was promptly sent for a frozen section procedure called cryosection. Essentially, the mass is flash frozen and sliced up into slivers for immediate histological analysis. The results confirmed ovarian cancer.

With a firm diagnosis in hand, Tam removed the uterus, the left ovary and fallopian tube, the omentum (a piece of fat attached to the colon), pelvic lymph nodes

Give me strength: kettlebell sessions lift the intensity and the paraaortic lymph nodes that drain lymph fluid from the reproductive organs. Tam also did a biopsy of the inside lining of the abdomen (peritoneum).

When the results came back it was a mixed bag of news. The good news was the cancer was only in the right ovary and had not spread. This is called stage 1a.

However, she had clear cell carcinoma of the ovary, which is notoriously aggressive. Patients with stage 1a clear cell carcinoma have a 20 to 30 per cent risk of recurrence. Other ovarian cancer cells carry only a 10 to 20 per cent risk. Tam put her on six cycles of chemotherapy, unnecessary for most stage 1a cases.

At the time of writing, Lin was still undergoing chemotherapy.

But she will need to remain vigilant against recurrence of the cancer. For the next two years, she will have to go for check-ups every three months, then continue two to three times a year for the following three years.

Tam notes that ovarian cancer is an insidious disease.

It often presents very mild symptoms that are common in women without cancer. So it is usually diagnosed only after it has advanced to other organs.

Earlier diagnosis and treatment means a higher survival rate. But there is currently no evidence that routine screening helps. However, regular visits to the gynaecologist would increase one’s chances of detecting abnormalities early, says Tam.

Nodding off at work is not a big deal if you work at a computer all day. It’s a different story if you drive a vehicle or operate heavy machinery for a living.

Photo: Edward Wong

management and self-control.

• Increase your sleeping hours and improve the quality of sleep by taking hot baths, having massages, keeping your home neat and clean with some plants, and keeping the rooms suitably light and at the right temperature.

• Have at least three to four hours gap between dinner and bedtime, and do not eat too much at night.

• When travelling, try to take a

nap: closing your eyes for just a short time helps.

• Avoid too much entertainment before bedtime.

• Avoid smoking or taking caffeinated or alcoholic drinks.

Honey or warm milk are good alternatives.

• Exercise after lunch, even if it’s just a short walk.

• Seek professional help on how to relax and reduce stress.

• Try to be happy and stop worrying.

• Consult your doctor if you have problems sleeping.

• Consider other options in the workplace: talk to your supervisors or colleagues to see if there are alternative ways to complete tasks.

Paul Pang is a clinical psychologist at the Whole Person Development Institute in Hong Kong

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Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Strength training, once the realm of the bodybuilding brigade, is catching on among mere mortals.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual survey of 2,620 fitness professionals, it is the second most popular trend for this year, up from No 6 in 2007.

The form of training has found favour because it is being used to achieve a different goal: not for creating bulk, but for improving balance and ease of daily living – or what’s known in gym jargon as functional fitness.

Weight machines isolate muscles and work them independently, but functional fitness – achieved mainly through bodyweight exercises, but also using certain innovative tools – teaches muscles to work together, building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions.

In the past five weeks, Pure Fitness Admiralty personal trainer Matthew Ha has been putting Chalothorn Vashirakovit through functional training routines using equipment such as the Bulgarian bag, TRX suspension trainer and, this past fortnight, the kettlebell.

Ha made it clear from the start that the kettlebell – Russian castiron weights that resemble a cannonball with a handle – would be the most difficult tool for Chalothorn, a resistance training novice, to handle so far.

Our groom-to-be agrees. “It’s definitely hard to master and get the technique right,” says Chalothorn, 30, who is enduring this Pure Fitness training programme to get lean and 5kg lighter for his wedding next week. “I don’t think I have the spot-on form yet, so it’s hard for me to fully benefit from the workout.

From what I understand, it takes quite a bit of time to learn how to use the kettlebell properly.”

Ha explains that a lot of the power needed to perform kettlebell exercises, such as the arm swing and snatch, comes from the hips, hamstrings and lower back. As the weight gets heavier – kettlebells range from 2.3kg to 23kg – technique becomes more important to not only avoid injury, but also reap the greatest benefits.

Done right, Ha says training with kettlebells can improve cardiovascular level, flexibility, co-ordination, core strength and muscle definition.

Chalothorn, an investment associate with a global investment firm, took a few training sessions to grasp the technique. At his fifth session with the kettlebells, Ha threw down the gauntlet: perform a 30-minute sequence with a 13.6kg kettlebell, without once putting it down. This, Ha says, is what personal trainers have to do to gain certification in the tool.

Ten minutes and Chalothorn was cooked. “The first thing that gave way was my forearm and then my lower back,” he says.

Undeterred, Chalothorn kept going, performing shorter

I don’t get ‘food coma’ anymore … because I don’t overeat and I don’t feel sleepy during the day CHALOTHORN VASHIRAKOVIT

Chalothorn Vashirakovit (top) gets to grips with the demands of the kettlebell under the guidance of personal trainer Matthew Ha (above). Photos: K.Y. Cheng

sequences of between five and seven minutes, until he managed 30 minutes of work in total. It’s undoubtedly this tenacity that has led to his now-obvious physical changes: visibly slimmer body, sharper jaw line, leaner legs, and an impressive eight-pack starting to peek through.

In addition to the four weekly sessions at Pure Fitness (including one with boxing coach Jimmy Leung), Chalothorn has been fitting in cardiovascular drills such as spinning or jogging on the treadmill.

He’s also been careful with his diet, keeping lunches to simple salads and bread. “I don’t get ‘food coma’ anymore. I used to drink three cups of coffee a day – in the morning and before and after lunch – but now I just need one, because I don’t overeat and I don’t feel sleepy during the day.”

His body fat has dropped from 18.2 per cent at the start of the programme to 15.8 per cent, and his muscle mass has increased from 60.8kg to 63.3kg. Though his weight has risen slightly from 74.3kg to 75.2kg, Chalothorn says it’s just a number.

“I feel lighter, stronger and fitter,” he says. “I’m very happy with the progress.”

6 COVER STORY

Turn m Pole dancing has shaken off its seedy reputation to become a legitimate sport with Olympic aspirations, writes Richard Lord

I

f anyone ever complains to you that this city lacks international sporting events of stature, you might point out that one the most important international competitions of one of the fastest-growing sports around is taking place on Thursday next week.

The fourth International Pole Championship, organised by the Hong Kong-based International Pole Dance Fitness Association (IPDFA), will be held at the Academy for Performing Arts in Wan Chai.

That’s right: pole dancing has stripped its sleazy image and is now being seen as a sport. Said to be one of the most versatile forms of exercise around, it’s taking off in a big way in this city and worldwide. This growing

A POLE NEW WORLD Where to learn your moves • Aerial Arts Academy, 16/F Parkview Commercial Building, 9-11 Shelter St, Causeway Bay, 2375 8088, aerialartsacademy.com • Pole Paradise Studio, 10/F CS Tower, 50-54 Wing Lok St, Sheung Wan, 2543 0198, poleparadisestudio.com • Pole Divas, 6/F Wai Hing Commercial Building, 17-19 Wing Wo St, Central, 2541 5157, poledivas.hk • Pure Fitness, studios in Central, Admiralty and Mong Kok, pure-fitness.com

credibility has even fuelled negotiations between the sport’s governing bodies and the International Olympic Committee to get it recognised officially as a sport.

Pole dancing has become mainstream largely because it’s a very effective workout, say fitness professionals. It’s excellent for everything from building core strength to muscle toning and calorie burning.

“It’s a very good body toning exercise,” says Michelle Lam, lecturer at the Asian Academy for Sports and Fitness Professionals, which has worked with the IPDFA to design official pole dance instructor courses. “If you look at pole dancers, they have the perfect body shape. As well as toning up your body, it also improves posture, agility and muscle endurance. I believe it’s a very good exercise because it’s well balanced between strength, flexibility and agility.

“The movement is more multi-dimensional than just a gym workout. In a gym, if you’re working your biceps, you’re just doing it through one plane of movement. With pole dancing, you

use a lot of different muscles for each particular movement.”

Pole dancing as a form of exercise has less than a decade of history in Hong Kong, and in that time there’s already been a complete transformation, say owners of pole dance studios.

What was at first an expatdominated activity has now become far more popular with locals, at least where classes are concerned.

Parties, mostly of the birthday and hen varieties, and with an emphasis on fun over fitness, are still more popular with expats.

Most of those attending classes are young, but daytime classes attract their fair share of older women – and there are even a handful of men going along.

It’s caught on as an exercise class for a number of reasons, but the main one is that it’s a workout so fun it doesn’t feel like work.

“The majority of women come here for fitness,” says Symone Salamon of Pole Paradise Studio in Sheung Wan. “Usually they’re sick of the gym and want to do something they enjoy. You’re not thinking all the time about how much more time you’ve got to run

COVER STORY 7

me loose

Vee Lea (against the mirror) leads a class at Aerial Arts Academy (above and below left) in Causeway Bay; Tessa Yung (far left) has triumphed at international level. Photos: Thomas Yau, Dickson Lee on the treadmill. And let’s face it: what other workout can you do wearing heels?”

“It’s a self-confidence thing, primarily,” adds Vee Lea of Causeway Bay studio Aerial Arts Academy, who’s also on the board of the IPDFA. “People do it to feel good about themselves. There’s peer support and it’s social – people get into the whole culture of it. The secondary thing – as ever – is that they want to lose weight.”

With some of the racy associations that pole dancing carries, there can of course be other motivations for taking it up.

“We do occasionally get a few women coming in and saying, ‘It’s my boyfriend’s birthday in three months’ time and I want to do something special’,” says Salamon.

However, pole dancing’s strip club history is fading into the background.

Tessa Yung, a group fitness instructor who teaches pole dance classes at Pure Fitness, says the stigma is going away. “When you have [pole dancing] at Pure, you know it’s pretty mainstream.”

People do it to feel good about themselves. There’s peer support and it’s social – people get into the whole culture of it VEE LEA, AERIAL ARTS ACADEMY

It’s also a lot more strenuous than it looks, says Lam. “Some reports say you can burn 600 calories an hour – the same as with kickboxing. Even with just basic spins, you’ll still burn 400 calories an hour. And when you’re really enjoying the movements and having fun, the time passes much quicker.”

Working such a wide range of muscles – biceps, pectorals, deltoids, hamstrings, inner thighs, abs and glutes – makes stretching properly before class particularly important, says Lam. The only other real injury risk is a small possibility of bruising and chafing from the pole.

For obvious anatomical reasons, this can be a particular issue for male participants, who often take a more acrobatic approach to the sport. “Some guys are a bit gungho,” says Salamon. “I have to remind them to be careful when they try certain moves.”

Although men still represent a small minority of pole dancers, they have their own category at the International Pole Championships, alongside women, doubles and disabled people. All national

champions were invited to participate in the event, but anyone could apply to be a competitor by sending in a video of themselves in action. The organisers received several hundred video applications, and eventually whittled the field down to 30 competitors from 11 different countries.

Watch competitive pole dancing and you’ll see a sport that most resembles gymnastics, with a strong element of dance sport thrown in.

Lea says that championship participants are being asked to present themselves very much as athletes, and the judging will reflect a combination of creative and technical skills.

The judging criteria for technical skills have been adapted from gymnastics and dance sport, while the more subjective creative and artistic judgment covers such things as concept, costume and choreography. The event will have seven judges, including a variety of choreographers, performers, dance coaches and sports coaches.

Getting the judging criteria right and organising the competition

professionally are part of pole dancing’s broader bid for official acceptability – one that also includes the instructor courses and the conversation with the IOC. “Our mission is to have a regulated community for pole dancing as a sport and fitness activity,” says Lea. With that in mind, an IOC delegation will be attending a pole dance showcase organised by the British-based International Pole Sports Federation in July, with a view to it being officially recognised as a sport – not, as some overheated media reports have suggested, to be included in the actual games.

Official recognition – just as sports such as dance, roller sports, sumo or surfing have had – would translate into greater promotion, development and, ultimately, respect for pole dancing.

“When people say it’s just a phase or a trend – well, let’s wait and see,” says Lea. “I don’t see any other young sport doing so much to fit itself into the sports and fitness culture.” Pole dancing, it appears, is going straight. healthpost@scmp.com

8 FITNESS

Rob Lilwall walks along a new motorway as he leaves the banks of the Yellow River at Hukou; Lilwall meets the terracotta warriors (below). Photos: Rob Lilwall

WALKING HOME

High roads and byroads ......................................................

Rob Lilwall healthpost@scmp.com Crossing to the western bank of Huang He (Yellow River) at Hukou was a major landmark for us on our 5,000 kilometre Walking Home From Mongolia expedition. Our final sight of the river – which was still almost entirely frozen – was of where it ran south through a narrow gap in the cliffs, spanned by a huge, half-built motorway bridge.

My expedition partner Leon McCarron and I climbed away from the river onto a smooth, asphalt road, and ahead of us we found a fork in the road which gave the option of joining another enormous new motorway heading in exactly the direction we were going. There was a big “no walkers” (or animals, bicycles, or motorbikes) sign and a police car checkpoint, so we decided it would be prudent to continue on our small road for the time being.

Trudging onwards, we wound up and down through a series of gorges, while above us the giant motorway spanned every chasm on huge stilts and rocketed straight through the middle of hillsides with a perfectly built tunnel. We decided that it would be worth trying to sneak onto the motorway – it would be both a fun adventure and a really good way to speed up our progress.

A couple of kilometres later, we caught sight of a scree slope at the top of which there were some holes

in the fence, presumably made by workmen or goat herders who needed to get on and off the big road. In a way, these holes summed up some of our experiences on the walk – there are lots of rules and fences in China, but the Chinese are experts at getting around them and ignoring them.

Walking on the motorway was faster, but also a lot safer, than on the small roads, for there were very few cars. Furthermore, we had a very wide hard shoulder all to ourselves.

On the narrow legal road beneath us, we had to throw ourselves against the barrier when a speeding truck passed by. Occasionally, highway patrol police cars did appear, though fortunately they seemed to ignore us.

Three days later, we left the motorway, passed through several long valleys, and found ourselves descending the hills onto the broad expanse of plains which would lead us to the ancient capital of Xian.

We quickly noticed that it felt much milder. I was no longer getting cold hands when I took off my gloves, and I spotted a fly buzzing around in the grass – my first insect of the expedition. After our three hard months of frozen winter hiking through the Gobi Desert and northern Chinese mountains, it seemed that spring was arriving at last. The fields were full of the springtime buzz of agricultural activity – peasants were starting little bonfires of dross leaves, tractors

were clattering back and forth up the road, and an array of crops was starting to grow.

Just before Xian we reached our first A-league tourist destination of the walk: the terracotta warriors. As we walked into the car park, it felt strange to be surrounded by touts who saw us more as mobile cash machines than people. We also felt disorientated to be among a lot of other Westerners; we had seen only four on our route since we started walking.

The terracotta army was, of course, amazing. And I think what made it especially significant for me was that all these soldiers had been built for the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, who was buried in the still-unopened mausoleum a few kilometres away.

The history-changing achievement of Emperor Qin was now beginning to dawn on me, he was the man who first unified China.

And so this huge, diverse country we were walking through had become, in concept at least, one kingdom, and has remained so ever since.

From the terracotta warriors, it was just one day’s walk into the ancient capital of Xian. We were exhausted but relieved and satisfied to have reached the symbolic halfway point of our journey. We are taking four days off here and are grateful to the Shangri-La hotel for giving us free accommodation.

Staying in an ultra-comfortable hotel while we recover is indeed a

Walking on the motorway was faster, but also a lot safer, than on the small roads, for there were very few cars ROB LILWALL

contrast from sleeping in a field or under a bridge.

After this short break, we will head for the Yangtze River, Guilin and then, ultimately, Hong Kong.

I’m looking forward to the new adventures that await us in the second half of our expedition.

Rob Lilwall’s previous expedition, Cycling Home From Siberia, became the subject of an acclaimed motivational talk, a book, and a National Geographic television series. Every week in Health Post, he will write about the progress of his latest expedition, Walking Home From Mongolia, which is in support of the children’s charity Viva. www.walkinghomefrommongolia.com

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

10 FITNESS

PERSONAL BEST

An outsider’s look at culture ......................................................

Mark Graham healthpost@scmp.com Running all year round in Beijing means enduring the bone-chilling cold of winter and sweltering through the intense heat of summer, but it is never a dull experience, offering free entertainment galore from the colourful cast of characters that populate the parks, and a backdrop that features 500-year-old imperial temples.

My local park, Ritan, where I grind out about 30 kilometres on most weeks, is one of the city’s prettiest. The tree-lined walkways, carpeted with cherry blossoms in spring and golden leaves in autumn, lead towards the central Temple of the Sun altar, once used for sacrificial offerings by Ming dynasty emperors.

I don’t run for history lessons, needless to say, but learning more about Beijing is one of the many factors that make venturing outside, in extreme temperatures, so worthwhile. Even in the depths of winter, when it can be minus 10 degrees Celsius for days on end, there is some form of entertainment.

Ritan Park always has a slightly off-key opera singer or two (Italian and Peking styles), old timers belting out stirring revolutionary-era odes, and smartly dressed couples waltzing gracefully to the sound of tinny ghetto blasters.

If I jog around the upper pagoda, there is usually a cluster of gnarly kite fliers launching their homemade contraptions. I have to take extra care not to be garotted by an unseen wire. The colourful fluttering of scores of kites high in the Beijing sky is a magical sight; picking them out individually requires intense visual concentration.

That’s if you can see beyond your nose. No chance if it is one of those infamous, polluted days. On occasion the air is almost chewable, a dirty grey blanket that envelopes the city.

As often as not, I still head out, reasoning that running in the smog is preferable to plodding along on a gym treadmill, surrounded by people sweating, coughing, sneezing and spluttering. There is also the mental pain that comes from having to endure a backdrop of mindless drum ‘n’ bass or wittering television presenters.

The gym experience can be had in any city, any time, whereas a run in the park – any park – is a real chance for an education in Beijing culture, both old and new. It may be a vast place, home to 20 million people, but the central area is blessed with ample green spaces including the parkland around the Temple of Heaven, glorious Beihai Park with its central lake, and Yuyuantan Park towards the west.

Beijing also has a network of canals with adjoining footpaths,

including one in the south that snakes around the suburbs and on to the Summer Palace. Once there, an admission ticket to the lakeside residence of the Empress Dowager allows visitors the chance to lope all the way around the magnificent lake.

At weekends, I like to head out to the woodland trails of the Olympic Forest Park, which was built in accordance with the government’s pledge to make Beijing a cleaner and greener place if it won the right to host the Olympics.

Sadly, there are precious few races or fun runs in these spacious and scenic spots, even though the city has a solid core of amateur athletes, demonstrated by tens of thousands of people who do the annual marathon in October.

The first time I lined up for the half-marathon, I was mildly surprised to find my start line neighbours puffing away on cigarettes, but not as shocked as the visiting foreign runners, who had expressions of incredulity at this breach of athletic etiquette.

The race begins in the heart of Tiananmen Square, with runners heading immediately north, towards the grand Forbidden City frontage, before veering off into suburbs that appear to have been selected for their blandness. Overzealous guards stop spectators getting too close to runners; the only encouragement is the odd shout of “jia you!”,

The first time I lined up for the half-marathon, I was mildly surprised to find my start line neighbours puffing away on cigarettes

meaning “go, go!” Water stops are plentiful, but at the finish line the support system ends abruptly – no post-race banana or energy bar, no gathering spot to swap notes with fellow runners.

By contrast, there is a jaunty collegiate atmosphere for people who finish the annual 10-kilometre race organised by adventure sports brand The North Face at a lake out near the Great Wall but, again, little in the way of energy replenishment, apart from a Bimbo bread roll supplied by one of the sponsors.

The focus at last year’s race was on quantity rather than quality; a lack of marshals at strategic spots allowed unprincipled runners to make short cuts across the fields.

They are all minor niggles compared to my biggest gripe about the races held in China. Expatriates (including Hong Kong compatriots) pay a significantly higher entry fee than locals, a particularly egregious piece of discrimination that leaves a nasty taste.

But, on balance, I do try and focus on the many positives of running in Beijing, in particular the opportunity it affords to observe local culture and customs. The past month, viciously cold though it might have been, also offered the novel experience of running by (or across) frozen-over park lakes, not really an option during my many years living in Hong Kong.

DIET 11 NUTRITION STUFFED CABBAGE

THE TASTE TEST EGG WHITES

A winter classic earns an Italian makeover

......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com

......................................................

Mario Batali Cruciferous is a designation that comprises the Brassica members of the cabbage family, including cavolo nero, mustard and turnip greens, along with cauliflower and collards, radish, horseradish and arugula.

The name derives from the flower common to these plants, the four petals of which spread to form a cross. Hence, “crucifer”-ous. Cancer researchers have found that, in addition to their delicious pungency, cruciferous vegetables may be effective in preventing certain types of cancer. A serving of cruciferous vegetables gives a healthy dose of vitamin C. One potential downside: cooking cruciferous vegetables, cabbage included, can tend to get a little malodorous or even stinky.

The trick is to do the initial blanch when the children are at school or your roommates are at work – or, like I do, late at night when everyone is asleep with the windows wide open. The dirty work done, I can finish the process and final cooking when they get home.

In general, you don’t have to sneak vegetables into your family’s diets; you just have to change the way they look and the way they feel. This dish looks like a stuffed lasagne. Start by forming a nice paste, or composto (that is, a vegetarian stuffing), then use the blanched leafy greens and roll it like a burrito.

Stuffed cabbage may sound like a dish your grandmother imported from the old country. But really it just needs a facelift, or, better yet, an Italian inflection. In the region of Liguria, on the northwest coast near the border of France, they prepare stuffed cabbage with a vegetarian stuffing, like in this recipe, and serve it as either an antipasto or a light main course.

When cooking, cruciferous vegetables are interchangeable.

If green cabbage isn’t available, substitute another cabbage like Savoy or another fibrous leafy green like cavolo nero or turnip tops.

Make more than you think you will need; this dish is a guaranteed hit and is just as good the next day cool from the fridge as a sneaky, luxurious lunch.

Stuffed cabbage (Ligurian-style) Makes 12 rolls 1 large green cabbage (1.4kg to 1.8kg)

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 medium red onions, diced into 1.25cm pieces 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 450 grams new potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1.25cm pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper 250ml fresh ricotta, drained A handful of finely slivered fresh basil leaves Finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley 500ml basic tomato sauce 125ml freshly grated pecorino romano

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

• Bring 7.5 litres of water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Fill a large bowl with cool water, and place it nearby.

• Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage, finely chop and set them aside. Carefully cut out the cabbage core with a sharp knife.

• Add two tablespoons of salt to the boiling water. Drop the whole cabbage into the water and cook for five to six minutes until it is tender. Transfer to the bowl of cool water and let it cool.

• When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, drain it.

Carefully remove the whole leaves from the head, and set aside about a dozen of the best and largest.

Chop the remaining cabbage into 0.5cm pieces and set aside.

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over a medium heat until just smoking. Add the onions, garlic, potatoes, and the raw and cooked chopped cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and allow to cool.

• When the potato mixture is cool, add the ricotta, basil and parsley, and fold together.

• Place 1/12 of the cabbage/ricotta mixture in the centre of each whole cabbage leaf. Fold each leaf around the filling like a burrito, and secure it with a toothpick.

• Pour the tomato sauce into a 23cm by 33cm baking dish, and arrange the cabbage packets on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

• Remove the foil, sprinkle the cabbage packets with the grated pecorino, and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mario Batali is the owner of Babbo, Lupa, Otto and other renowned restaurants. His latest book is Molto Batali, published by Ecco.

McClatchy-Tribune

EAT SMART

When the difference is simply a matter of paste ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Supermarket shelves are crammed with bottles of tomato sauce, but why buy when you can make your own?

Of course, the main reason is for the sake of convenience. But as shown in this recipe by Studio City Bar & Café in Kowloon Bay, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to whip up home-made tomato paste.

Use top-quality, fresh (instead of canned) tomatoes for the best results. You’ll be rewarded by a richer, tastier and healthier sauce, free from any additives or flavour enhancers that may be found in the store-bought versions. What’s more, you can vary the flavour and texture according to your taste.

Egg Beaters Whites 454 grams for HK$55, City’super Each three tablespoon serving (equivalent of one whole egg) has 25 calories and no fat or cholesterol, making it ideal for those on a diet. Murky and watery, this spread very quickly in the frying pan, like thin pancake batter.

Verdict: this does not taste of egg whites. In fact, does not taste of much of anything.

Eggology 100% Egg Whites 454 grams for HK$89, City’super Like Egg Beaters, this product has a similar nutrition value with 5 grams of protein per serving. Fitness buffs who are looking to build muscle or boost recovery will appreciate this.

But anything with such a long shelf life is suspect.

Verdict: slightly less watery and murky, and a good bit tastier than the Egg Beaters.

Spaghetti with shrimp in Italian tomato shrimp paste Serves 2 For the tomato paste 10 tomatoes, diced 8 basil leaves, shredded ½ tsp salt 1 tsp sugar Ground white pepper to taste • Sauté tomatoes in a frying pan until tender and to a sauce-like consistency.

• Season with salt, sugar and white pepper.

• Sprinkle with basil leaves. Set aside.

120g spaghetti 1½ tsp olive oil 4 shrimps, diced ½ tsp dried chilli Some minced garlic 2 tsp onion, diced 1 fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced

1 white mushroom, sliced 1 oyster mushroom, sliced 2 tsp chicken broth 120 grams tomato paste Pinch of salt • Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions and set aside.

• Heat ½ tsp of oil in a frying pan and sauté the shrimps.

• Add dried chilli and cook for another 30 seconds. Set aside.

• Heat remaining oil and sauté garlic, onion and mushrooms.

• Add chicken broth and tomato paste.

Season with salt.

• Add shrimps and combine. Serve with spaghetti.

Recipe provided by the Health Department as part of its EatSmart@restaurant.hk campaign.

For more information, visit restaurant.eatsmart.gov.hk

Natural Living eggs Half-dozen for HK$39, City’super I thought it’s only fair to compare pre-packaged whites to natural ones (separated from the yolk). The package says these are from “happy hens” who lay “premium eggs while taking in the sunshine and exploring the great outdoors” on an Australian family-owned farm.

Verdict: thick and viscous when raw, and fluffy and flavourful when cooked – as egg whites should be.