A mandatory two-week hotel stay doesn’t have to feel like prison
You’ve taken the leap and booked to travel abroad over Christmas: what next? The government has ruled that all incoming travellers now need to self-isolate in a hotel for two weeks upon their return to Hong Kong—at their own expense. You could say it’s a way for a beleaguered hospitality industry to recoup some of the income lost after a year of low tourism, as well as a way to deter travelling and keep the virus at bay during the winter season.
The government has released the names of 16 recommended hotels for quarantiners, but the list is decidedly unglamorous and leaves a lot to be desired. If we are to be confined within four walls for 14 days, we want the experience to be as comfortable as staying at home.
Here is how to master those two weeks—the Tatler way.
See also: The Holidays That Hong Kong Travellers Are Booking For 2021
Stay Active
Muscular strength takes about three weeks to begin declining, while cardio ability starts diminishing after only a matter of days. Emerge from quarantine looking fitter than when you entered by building a daily fitness routine and sticking to it. Still can’t do a press-up? Would love to master ‘the crow’ pose? Want to build up to a five-minute plank? Without life’s usual distractions, quarantine could be a great opportunity to focus on your fitness goals.
The Equipment
Balance Board
Improve your core stability and ankle and knee strength in a small space with a balance board. Decathlon and Joinfit sell perfectly serviceable boards. But the fanciest wobble board out there is luxury sports equipment maker NOHrD’s Eau-Me Boardfrom, which uses a water-filled base and comes in an ash, walnut, cherry or stainless steel finish. Whatever it takes to get you through.
Yoga Mat
A nonslip yoga mat is an essential part of quarantine fitness gear and can be stowed away neatly when not in use. Decathlon’s super-chunky, 15mm-thick Pilates mat has become a mainstay at studios throughout the city. If you want something a little more slimline or enjoyable to look at, Sugar Mat—available at Caelum Greene—offers a range so nice you won’t want to roll the mat away.
Resistance band
Easier to pack and less cumbersome than weights, rubber bands allow resistance training when space is limited. There are dozens of apps and YouTube videos with training ideas to follow, so things don’t need to get boring. Pick up bands from Decathlon or Theraband, stocked at T8 Fitness.
See also: Tatler Insiders On The Best Of Fitness And Outdoors In Hong Kong
