Find ways to get into shape in Hong Kong without entering the gym. By Ben Sin

Boar hunting
When wild boars – and Hong Kong has an abundance of these in the New Territories – venture into your personal property, you’d better know who to call. The Hong Kong Wild Pig Club is a group of volunteer hunters sanctioned by the government to take care of roaming boars. Separated into two teams (one in Sai Kung and another in Tai Po), they’re the only non-police members in Hong Kong to legally carry guns. According to Sai Kung team captain Chan Kang, they’re always looking for a few good men to join them. “We are open for people to join us,” says the 68-year-old former policeman, who stays fit by going on these hunts about twice a month on average. But be warned, there are tough tests and training. “Of course, they wouldn’t let [just] anyone carry guns now,” he adds. Contact the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for information on how to join. www.afcd.hk/eindex.html.

Photo racing
The Hong Kong Photography Club turns photography into exercise. Once a month, the 600-member strong club organises a “photography race” event. “The challenge is to take five photos in teams of two over a seven-hour period under four different themes,” explains club founder Miranda Legg. Because the themes for each photo are random and must be picked up at the home base, it means a lot of running back and forth around town while carrying a heavy camera. By the end you’ll be fit, and have a collection of great photos from around the city. www.meetup.com/hongkongphotographyclub.

Paragliding
Head out to Sai Kung Country Park to learn the ins and outs of paragliding. The beginner’s package is $7,200 and includes eight lessons from a US certified instructor plus all the equipment you’ll need. Upon completion you’ll be able to glide with a supervisor. If you want to glide alone at various places such as Ma On Shan or Shek O, you’ll have to pass the novice course, which usually runs for four days at $1,100 per day. www.paraglide-hk.com.

Gecko Adventure
Organised by personal trainer Alain Boulanger, Gecko Adventure is a series of outdoor activities that ranges from scenic strolls to strenuous runs through overlooked landmarks and trails in the city. www.globalcitizen.hk.

Kayak adventure
For an outdoor adventure that burns off lots of calories, try the ‘Kayak and Hike’ combo. A normal outing starts on an ex-marine police power boat known as ‘The Black Mamba,’ riding out to the open waters of Clearwater Bay or Tai Long Wan and then getting into a kayak and rowing your way past coastlines and into caves. A long and rough hike through rocks and steps completes the trip. Paul Etherington, a long time Sai Kung resident and self-proclaimed adventure junkie has been organising Kayak and Hike trips for more than seven years. Kayaking excursions start at $900. www.kayak-and-hike.com.

Walk a dog
According to a study done by Hong Kong University’s Institute of Human Performance, owning a dog is great motivation for doing more exercise. “If you don’t have a dog, contact SPCA’s volunteer dog walking programme. To qualify, you must first take a course in dog obedience as well as volunteer ten hours of work at a dog kennel. After that, you’re free to walk any of the dogs at the centre. www.spca.org.hk.

Race walking
Race walking is the fine art of walking, really fast. And if you’ve been to Central or Causeway Bay around lunchtime on a weekday, you’ll know that we Hongkongers have perfected this art. The Sixth Annual MTR Race Walking competition takes place April 18. $40-80 depending on age. Register for race-walk training schemes at www.hkaaa.com.

Swap your office chair for a health ball
Try swapping your regular chair with a health ball to get a workout while at your desk. “Because the ball is unstable, it forces your core muscles to work just to keep the balance and posture,” says Benjamin Branch, a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the fitness columnist for Time Out Hong Kong. “Studies have shown that you can burn up to 300 calories a day just sitting on the ball over a nine-hour period.”

Play Games
Rocking out to your favourite songs on the plastic drum kit of the Guitar Hero or Rock Band video game series is an effective way to burn extra calories, says personal trainer Raymond Cheung of California Fitness. “Wii Fit is a game that has a reputation for being an exercise game, but that’s lightweight stuff. Drumming to a Blink 182 song is a better workout.”

Folding bike urban city chase
According to organiser Felix Shum, the Folding Bike Urban Chase is like the TV show The Amazing Race. Contestants start the competition in the New Territories with a map and must cycle their way to meet different challenges, which Shum describes as “a test of guts and brain power”. The competition is on April 11. $500 per team (two per team). www.xtechallenge.com.

Tai chi
It may not look like much of a workout but tai chi provides health benefits – breathing properly, mental relaxation – similar to that of yoga. And while it’s full of slow movements, they’re often really strenuous. Every weekday at 8am (except Tuesdays) the Hong Kong Tourism Board runs free tai chi classes on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. www.discoverhongkong.com.

Swimming
What more needs to be said? It’s healthy, cheap and a great way to relieve stress – while remaining easy on the body. Check out our guide for the best swimming pools in the city.

Have sex
As well as being one of life’s unrivalled pleasures, you can also burn up to 300 calories per hour by having sex. It’s an exercise that activates all of the body’s muscle groups, and as well as keeping you limber and fit it also raises serotonin levels. So dim the lights, slip out of those old gym clothes and do what you do best. For maximum effect, don’t settle for the sprint – always favour the marathon.

Bungy jumping
It sounds crazy, but jumping off a building is good exercise. “Bungy jumping has been shown to accelerate the human heart up to 100 per cent of its capabilities,” says personal trainer Branch. “And as long as you take the stairs to the top, it’s one hell of a fitness activity.” At 233 metres, the jump off the Macau Tower is the highest bungy jump in the world. “The adrenaline stays with you throughout the day,” says general manager Charlie Bassett. “It’s one of the highest highs one can have.” $1,688 per person. www.ajhackett.com/macau/bungy.html.

Horse riding
It may appear that the horses do all the work, but horseback riding is a deceptively intense exercise. Try riding for an hour and you’ll feel pain and soreness in places you didn’t even know existed. Remember though: no pain, no gain. Learn how to ride a horse properly, in groups or alone, at the International Riding Centre in Yuen Long. www.internationalridingcentre.com.

Snowboard and ski
North Point is as far as you need to go for some snowboarding and skiing action. Ok, so you won’t be doing it on actual snow, and it’s designed more for those wishing to learn the basics before they hit the real thing, but Slope Infinity does a pretty good job of recreating the experience. You’ll use real skis or snowboards and ride on a state of the art variable speed silicone-coated revolving carpet (imagine a giant treadmill covered in slippery gooey stuff). Practice rates start at $290 per hour. www.slope8.com.

Hiking
One of the things that make Hong Kong so unique as a major metropolis is being surrounded by islands with beautiful trails and parks. You can either go with friends for a few hours, or join one of the many hiking groups such as the Hong Kong Hiking Meet Up Group. The group has held 433 hikes with over 1,700 participants over its five-year existence. The group currently organises two hikes a week on average, as well as various workshops. For independent-minded hikers, check out our web-exclusive guide, where you can see our recommended trails all over Hong Kong. www.meetup.com/hongkonghikinggroup.

Paintball
Hong Kong has strict restrictions on guns, even fake ones. So longtime paintball enthusiast Tommy Liu got around the restrictions by creating his own smaller calibre guns that shoot smaller paintballs. “It works out better anyway, as the games are now faster paced because the shots are faster and lighter,” he says. At Paintball Headquarters, you can take on friends, strangers or family (why not?) in a 10,000 sq ft indoor arena decorated to look like an abandoned warehouse. www.paintballhq.com.hk.

Cycling
The best way to cycle round our manic, car-focused city streets is to do it with a bunch of like-minded people. You can get started by joining Critical Mass, a worldwide cycling event in which cyclists gather at a predetermined point and simply ride. “We have no planned route, whoever is at the front of the pack decides where to go,” explains Martin Turner, a longtime Hong Kong cyclist. “Every ride we go on, we discover a new part of Hong Kong.” The group meets on the last Saturday of every month at the Tsim Sa Tsui Clock Tower. Join the group, make some friends, and hook up your next ride at
sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/massridehk.

Lion dancing
Once associated with triads and violence, the art of lion dancing has since cleaned up its image and is now a legitimate leisure pursuit. So get a good workout – and pick up a kung fu move or two – by taking a lion dancing training course courtesy of the Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Dragon and Lion Dancing Association. Find all you need to know at www.hkcmaa.com.hk.

Take the stairs or walk to work
This is an easy one, and is pretty self-explanatory. Upon arrival at the MTR or at your friend’s apartment, consider taking the stairs instead of using the lift or the escalator. Don’t bust a gut carrying your groceries up to the 30th floor if you live in a modern high-rise, just be realistic. And if your destination is relatively close and the weather’s agreeable, then walk instead of taking public transport.

Extreme sports
Learn to surf, skate, windsurf, kite board, or any other extreme sport with the X Games Hong Kong’s Join Our Ride programme. All courses are taught by internationally accredited instructors and equipment is provided. For simpler sports like skateboarding, courses are taught in groups of four at $300 per person, while more complicated sports like kite boarding require private lessons that are spread over two days and cost $4,500 per person. www.xgamehk.com.

Mixed martial arts
MMA has been all the rage in recent years as a spectator sport and a hobby. It’s a good workout, tones your body, and allows you to feel like you can kick ass. There are various places in the city to learn mixed martial arts, such as the Kunedo Fighting and Fitness Centre in Prince Edwards (www.thaiboxinghk.com) or the Hong Kong Mixed Martial Arts Club (www.hkmma.com), but for the biggest and most English-friendly, Impakt Academy of Mixed Martial Arts offers a variety of courses for all ages, taught by a group of former professional fighters. www.impakt.hk.

Household chores
Not that we need studies to tell us this, but a UK study last year showed that doing your own chores – that’s vacuuming, laundry, sweeping the floor, taking out the trash – can result in up to 50,000 calories burned per year.

Windsurfing
According to local windsurfer Chow Lok-yuen, windsurfing targets shoulders, forearms and the lower back. But that’s when you’re already accomplished. “When you first start you’ll spend so much energy just trying to stand that it’s a massive workout for the legs,” Chow says. The Hong Kong Windsurfing association offers beginner’s courses in Sai Kung, Tai Po and Stanley. www.windsurfing.org.hk.

Ten-pin bowling
Bowl for fun at several venues all around the city. A couple of decent options are Super Fun Bowl (Olympian City Super Fun Bowl, Shop 148, 1/F, Olympian City 2, 2273 4773) or Hong Kong Bowling City (Hall A, G/F, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, 2620 3010). Otherwise, you can join the Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress for more organised and competitive tournaments. www.hktbc.org.hk.

Walk Hong Kong
We’ve got a beautiful city, and it’s best taken in step by step. Walk Hong Kong is a fully licensed organisation that offers a wide variety of guided walking tours. One of the most popular ones, the Heritage Walk, is half exercise, half history lesson. This three-hour walk takes you through historical landmarks in Central, from the centuries old St John’s Anglican Cathedral to the land reclamations extending out to the waterfront. Another favourite is the Ma On Shan Walk, which ventures out to the lush green subtropical forest and dense exotic vegetation of the New Territories. www.walkhongkong.com.

Hip-hop dancing
Get fit and learn a little more about one of the original components of hip-hop culture with street dancing classes. Central Dance studio teaches beginner’s street dancing led by an instructor from New York. www.danceclassesinhongkong.com.

Scuba diving
Indulge in some underwater activity that’s sure to burn off those unwanted calories. Diving Express offers a beginner’s course for $3,250 that starts with an eight-hour lecture, pool training, and two days of scuba diving in Sai King. More advanced open water sessions are organised monthly as well. www.divingexpress.com.

Motocross
MX Club Hong Kong offers a “Motocross for Beginners” programme, which teaches basic riding, drifting, and jumping techniques. Though you’re essentially riding your motorbike (albeit in an extreme manner) motocross is a physically taxing sport that requires strength in the arms and legs to best control the two-wheeler. The big falls may also help you harden up... Find out more at
www.mxclub.com.hk.

Boot camps
Body Synergy runs outdoor exercise programmes in the evenings and early mornings that target your body with challenging physical work-outs in the name of fast results. There’s a range of options for beginners through to pros, all focusing on cardio endurance, strength and muscle toning. Single sessions cost $200, while three months of unlimited training costs $3,060. Get more info at www.bootcamp.com.hk.

Iaido
Who doesn’t like chopping stuff up with a samurai sword? Exactly. The Japanese call it “iaido”, meaning “the way of mental presence and immediate reaction”, and it’s an art form where wielding and swinging a giant samurai sword in smooth motion is key. According to instructor Lok Wai-keung, iaido is not just exercise for the body, but  also for the mind. “You obviously get a bit of a workout since swinging that sword can be heavy,” he says. “Yet the most important aspect of iaido is the balancing of the mind and zoning in your concentration.” Monthly course fee: $600 per person, $300 for students. www.hksword.com.

Ultimate frisbee
Combining elements of football, American football, and basketball, while remaining contact-free, Ultimate Frisbee is a popular sport for both male and female working professionals. www.hkupa.com.

Water polo
Did you know the oldest sport in the Olympics is water polo? The Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association will be holding courses all year round to teach the sport. You’ll learn passing, shooting, treading water and basic game structure. At the completion of the course everyone gathers together for one big game. Find out more abuot the sport and how to join a team at: www.hongkongwaterpolo.com.

Basketball
Sure, you can go to any park to shoot hoops, but joining an actual league will provide motivation to play harder considering you’ll be joining a real game at an indoor gym with trained officials and proper scorekeeping. www.hkballers.com or www.scbleague.com.

Unicycle hockey
As if riding a unicycle isn’t hard enough, these guys play hockey while perched atop them. The Unicycle Hockey Club meets every Friday night at the YMCA King’s Park Centenary Centre in Yau Ma Tei. But don’t be intimidated. According to player Martin Turner, it’s a casual league (meaning rules aren’t strictly enforced). “Boys and girls of all ages, English speakers, Cantonese speakers all play here. Riding a unicycle is hard to pick up but once you get the hang of it, it’s a blast.” Better start your one-wheel training in now. www.unihk.org.

Lawn bowling
The idea that lawn bowling is for old folks is so passé, says 21-year-old lawn bowler Lau Ching-koo. “It’s a great workout for the arms,” he says while flexing. The Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association offers training courses and casual games for the public at six locations from Tai Po to Causeway Bay. www.hklba.org.

Softball
Local director Lawrence Ah Mon’s 2008 ilm City Without Baseball famously detailed Hong Kong’s apathetic attitude towards baseball. That may be so, but there is a dedicated group of working professionals who spend their weekends swinging and pitching at King’s Park in Jordan as part of the Hong Kong Slo Pitch Association. The top players even travel to Taiwan and the Philippines to participate in tournaments. www.hongkong.softballsystems.com.

Soccer
With soccer being the most popular sport in the world there’s never a shortage of games running all throughout the city (even if some of them are on concrete). For competitive league action, Yau Yee Football League (www.yauyeeleague.com) is undoubtedly the biggest in the city. If you’re looking for a more casual set up, join the appropriately named Casual Football League (www.casualfootball.net), which holds games on weekends.

American football
The Hong Kong Flag Football Club organises six-on-six flag football (non-contact version of the sport) games about once a month. Originally a casual gathering started by two Americans craving their native sport, the club has gained in popularity in recent months and even held their first tournament last December. Another tournament is being planned for April. Search for “HK Flag Football” on Facebook or email flagfootballhk@gmail.com for details.

Dodgeball
Dodgeball’s simple philosophy of “move or get splattered” should be motivation enough to get exercising. The Hong Kong Dodgeball League organises co-ed league games four nights a week and you can enter your own team or try out alone and get drafted. League organiser Brian Li suggests bringing more than enough players for substitution purposes (the games are six-a-side). “The games are an hour long and it can be very tiring without subs,” he says. www.hkdodgeball.com.

Dragon boating
Why use the rowing machine at the gym when you can do the real thing and get some fresh air and sun along the way? Join the Hong Kong Island Paddle Club or the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association for some rigorous, but fun, exercise. Island Paddle Club Chairman Julie Devine says the club is open to everyone. “Although we pride ourselves in being pretty hardcore with an excellent record in competitions, we’re also very sociable and know how to have fun.” www.hkipc.com and www.hkdba.com.hk.

Rugby
Whether you’re looking to recreate the more sober moments of your Sevens experience, or just looking to get a bit of exercise, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union has something for everyone: “Boy or girl, tall or short, fit or not-so-fit, can all play,” says Robbie McRobbie, the Football Union’s head of rugby services. There are six men’s divisions, two women’s divisions, and an elementary rugby course for the complete beginner. If you prefer complete non-contact, the union also offers fast and friendly touch rugby. www.hkrugby.com.

Gaelic football
Ireland’s most popular spectator sport is a riot of physicality, combining kicking, hand-passing, and carrying of a ball by two teams of 15 and some pretty rigorous shoulder-to-shoulder tackling that results in a hearty work-out that falls somewhere between soccer and rugby. Believe it or not, Hong Kong has a healthy Gaelic Football Association that is more than willing to take on new players. Their summer league starts April 17, so now’s the time to get involved. To find out how, check out www.gaa.hk.

Cricket
Even if you’re standing in the field all day, it’s got to be better than sitting in a pub and watching it on TV. Of course, your fitness points increase the longer you can stay at bat or at the bowler’s crease. Hong Kong’s cricket leagues are thriving. Games take place at the weekend and the main season runs from September to April, but the Challenge League is played throughout the year. Register and read more about cricket in Hong Kong at www.cricket.com.hk.