Cover Pherform is one of Hong Kong’s best-known women-only fitness spaces (Photo: Instagram / @Pherform)
Pherform is one of Hong Kong’s best-known women-only fitness spaces (Photo: Instagram / @Pherform)
1 / 1
Whether you like running, CrossFit, lifting weights or swimming, here are the best women-only spots in the city that blend sports with female empowerment
Working out in a public space can be a source of anxiety for a lot of people. Gyms can feel intimidating to some, while others might be apprehensive about being judged for their appearance. For women, a solution to bypass this challenge is to sign up for female-only workout spaces, which are generally considered safe spaces in which ladies can sweat it out in peace. In fact, a 2022 poll in the UK showed that 61 per cent of women in the country would prefer to work out in such an environment.
While there’s no such equivalent survey in Hong Kong, female-only workout spaces are far from lacking. From gyms and yoga classes to running clubs, there are several such female-centric exercise spaces in the city, and here we bring you our top six picks.
You might also like: For plus-size people, diet culture and fatphobia can make going to the gym a toxic experience
1. Run with She Runs Collective
She Runs Collective is the latest running club to hit the city. Its runs take place every Monday nights, and start at 7:30pm at The Station, a coffee shop appreciated by Sheung Wan’s runners. The captains will take the group for a 4km run along the waterfront to the AIA wheel and back. You can sign up for the run, or just walk in. Bonus: stick around for post-run smoothies, beers, wine and snacks at The Station.
She Runs Collective by The Station
Address: G/F, 18 Upper Station St, Sheung Wan
You might also like: Neighbourhood guide: Where to eat, drink and shop in Sheung Wan
2. Lift weights at Pherform
Opened by CrossFit junkie Stephanie Poelman, Pherform is perhaps the best-known among Hong Kong’s women-only fitness spaces. This Wyndham Street gym offers a range of strength and conditioning classes, including CrossFit trainings. Not only are workouts held exclusively among women, but also include exercises that are tailored to female physiology, anatomy and hormonal profiles.
Pherform
Address: LKF29, 5/F, 29 Wyndham St, Central
3. Swim, play tennis and golf at Ladies’ Recreation Club
Don’t let its rather stuffy-sounding name and 138-year history fool you into thinking this establishment is a relic of the past: Ladies’ Recreational Club is one of Hong Kong’s most sought-after and prestigious members’ clubs, offering dining, pampering, recreational activities but most and foremost: sports facilities. From badminton and tennis to golf and bowling: they have it all.
Ladies’ Recreation Club
Address: 10 Old Peak Rd, Mid-Levels
4. Run with Girl’s Night at Shelter Athletics
Started in 2022, Shelter Athletics’s running club is a community of jogging enthusiasts that you might have seen running on Central Harbourfront on Sunday mornings. But what makes Shelter different is its wish to benefit society. With that mindset, they have been raising funds for local charities on different occasions, as well as starting their Girl’s Night jogs. Every Monday night, starting from 7pm, this female-only group explores a different part of Hong Kong on a 5km run. The meet-up locations and details are posted on its Instagram page a few day prior the run.
Read more: How Shelter Athletics is contributing to society, building bonds and getting people moving
5. Practice boxing, yoga and more at Nana Gym
Wanchai-based Nana Gym mixes yoga, lifting and cardiovascular workouts to help its exclusively female member base achieve full-body fitness. Head coach Nana Tsang, a silver medallist at the 2019 wushu world championship, keeps her gym’s programme balanced with TRX (total resistance exercises), boxing, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and yoga.
Nana Gym
Address: 12/F, Kuo Hwa Building, 340 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
6. Get a personal trainer at: LadyS Fitness HK
Opened in 2018, Sheung Wan gym LadyS Fitness HK (formally known as Fitness Bee) offers classes spanning the fitness gamut—from aerial yoga and pilates to HIIT and circuit training. The stylish and airy studio gives women a supportive and non-intimidating space to train and get stronger.
LadyS Fitness HK
Address: 7/F ,Emperor Hollywood Centre, 151 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan Hong Kong
Topics
Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
