Fun and sexy piloxing comes to town

SINGAPORE - A new celebrity fitness trend which counts Hollywood stars Heather Morris, Hilary Duff and Vanessa Hudgens among its ardent followers has made its way to Singapore.

Aimed at empowering women through fitness, piloxing is an interdisciplinary fitness programme that blends pilates, boxing and dance into a high-energy interval workout.

Home-grown health and wellness company Fitness Fun, helmed by director Lucretia Cheng, 40, is the first to offer piloxing classes in Asia.

In an interview with My Paper, Ms Cheng said she got hooked on the workout after experiencing it at the Idea World Fitness Convention in Los Angeles back in 2011.

Piloxing is the brainchild of Swedish dancer and celebrity trainer Viveca Jensen. Its name is a portmanteau of the words "pilates" and "boxing".

Ms Cheng, who is one of just three licensed piloxing trainers in the region, described the workout: "Piloxing blends the power, speed and agility of boxing with the beautiful sculpting and flexibility of pilates.

"And there's also the element of fun with the sexy dance moves."

Ms Cheng added that the one-hour workout is a form of interval training which has "fast bursts of high-intensity actions (combined) with slower, easier moves".

"This enables you to push yourself, and helps to build cardiovascular strength, burn more calories and improve your fitness level," she explained.

In one piloxing session, the average person can expect to shed between 400 and 900 calories, "depending on how hard (he works)".

On top of that, piloxing "targets everywhere that jiggles", said Ms Cheng, referring to problematic areas for women such as the arms, buttocks and thighs.

"It's all about working towards a sleek, sexy, and powerful image that most women want."

Still, Ms Cheng does see one or two male clients at the piloxing classes she holds.

Fitness Fun specialises in conducting corporate fitness classes at workplaces.

The fitness buff said that piloxing makes her clients feel "fresher and less lethargic".

"(Whether you're a man or a woman), it's still a workout at the end of the day," she added.

tsjwoo@sph.com.sg

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