Sunday 23 August 2015

Keeping Fit in Beijing

Keeping Fit in Beijing

This week Beijing comes under the world sporting spotlight when it hosts the World Athletics Championships at the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium. Away from professional track and field though, what is sport like in Beijing?

One of the most difficult aspects of relocating to anywhere is managing to preserve a fit and healthy lifestyle; particularly in the first few weeks of living in a new place. This is especially true when it comes to China. Often new expats find themselves struggling to keep into shape and notice deterioration in fitness and health. This blog will act as a brief guide to explain why a healthy lifestyle can be difficult to achieve abroad and aim to alleviate these problems by providing tips and a list of recreational sport clubs in Beijing.
For more detailed information, please contact info@apachina.com

Why is it so hard to keep healthy in China?
l  New Surroundings. On first moving to a new city, it takes time to adjust and find your way around your new environment- whether it is finding your way to work, locating and mapping out the nearest supermarket or navigating the public transportation system. It therefore takes considerably longer to get things done and this bites away at any leisure time you would otherwise have to socialize or exercise.
l  Language Barrier. Often without knowing the native language it can be more difficult to join local clubs or even gyms. While this is not always the case, the daunting thought of such an undertaking is often enough to dissuade new expatriates from joining.
l  New Diet. If you are a choosey eater and have yet to find a supermarket that sells homely goods, you may find yourself returning to something that reminds you of home- such as fast food chains like McDonald’s or KFC. Many expat workers find themselves eating fast-food many times a week because not only is it cheap, but it is something that you know is safe and recognizable.
l  Pollution. Beijing is infamous across the world for its pollution problems; it was even a concern before the 2008 Summer Olympics. Many expats are dissuaded from outdoor exercise because they fear the health ramifications of the high pollution.

Top Tips
l  If you are not immediately comfortable with joining a local sports club or gym, be sure to exploit the large expatriate scene in Beijing and join an expatriate sports club; some of which are listed below
l  Having said that, try your utmost to eat locally. Chinese food is substantially healthier than Western food with less fattening dairy products. This way, even if you don’t have time to exercise regularly, you can still maintain a healthy diet.
l  Download Apps that will help you overcome the language barrier and be able to order from a Chinese menu. Top picks for this are Waygo which allows you to scan and translate a written Chinese menu, and Pleco which acts almost as a Chinese Dictionary.
l  Be sure to utilize public gyms. They are located in most parks in Beijing and provide an excellent opportunity to even do a few reps on resistance machines. While you probably don’t want to be spending hours at these, they are ideal to stretch out and make a big difference.
l  The importance of drinking enough water, particularly in the summer months, cannot be stressed enough! Without it you’ll become sluggish and not have the energy to perform at work or to exercise.
l  Don’t be afraid to ask to join locals in a game of football or a session of Tai Chi. More often or not they would be more than happy for you to join and you don’t need a strong grasp of Chinese to be able to ask. If you have the confidence to do this it is a great way to make new friends and find out more about events and life in the surrounding area.
l  Get out of the city! This is the best solution if you suffer heavily from the side effects of air pollution. Beijing is easy to leave via public transportation and nearby (within an hour) there are numerous areas to hike or cycle.
l  Try commuting by bike. If you don’t have time to get down to the gym every day before and after work then why not try riding a bike there. Beijing has many cycle lanes and while the roads might seem incredibly busy, the traffic moves slow enough for cyclists to be safe and comfortable. What’s more, a decent bike can be bought for as little as 350RMB.
Sport Clubs

Badminton
There’s a reason that the Chinese Olympic team dominates the badminton events every year- they practice it almost religiously.

Beijing International Badminton Club Meeting twice a week on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, the BIBC welcomes everyone to join them. Contact: 6433 5226.

Cycling

Everybody has heard the song ‘Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing’, and the number in the whole of China is around 300 million! Cycling is not only a great form of exercise but also an excellent way to see and learn your surroundings in both the city and countryside. A list of five trails can be found here but if you want to join a cycling community there is also plenty of opportunity

The Beijing Peloton This is the prominent road cycling group in Beijing. It is a popular group because it caters for cyclists of all skill ranges and meets regularly. Furthermore the group organizes trips to Mongolia for the most avid cyclists. Contact: 135-1102-3672, www.beijingpeloton.com

Beijing Road Cycling A smaller group than the Beijing Peloton aimed at more experienced riders, Beijing Road Cycling typically ride on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Chaoyang park depending on the air quality. On weekends they take to the mountains around Beijing. Contact: beijingroadcycling@yahoogroups.com

Football

Even though the national team is famously unsuccessful in China, football is immensely popular and the most watched international sport in China. One statistic predicts there are 100 million Manchester United fans in China! Participation is therefore easy in both expat and local communities. APA would recommend you to try both because it is a great way to communicate with the local people and bridge the culture gap.

Beijing Barbarians FC Labelling itself as the ‘United Nations of Football, Beijing Barbarians are one of the largest and most internationally diverse amateur football clubs in the city. Training occurs every Tuesday evening at Chaoyang Park. Contact: contactus@beijingbarbarians.com , www.beijingbarbarians.com

Forbidden City FC With more local players than BBFC, but still with international membership, Forbidden City FC ensures that you can enjoy playing with local people without being completely overwhelmed by the language gap. Training occurs every Wednesday evening at Lido Park. Contact: www.forbiddencityfc.com


Golf

In China golf is well regarded in business circles. However this sometimes means that courses are difficult to access for the general public. There are nevertheless several golf clubs, both for expats and locals, which can be joined in Beijing.

Beijing Golfers Club Having been around for 20 years, Beijing Golfers Club is a well established club with over 200 members. Rounds are played every Sunday at different courses in Beijing and even non-members can join. Contact: 138-1144-1543, http://www.beijing-golfers-club.org

Beijing Ladies Golf Very similar to the Beijing Golfers Club, Beijing Ladies Golf is a club exclusively for women who play every Thursday Contact: 8532-1306 www.beijingladiesgolf.com

Gyms

China has many health clubs and easy to access, particularly in Beijing. While popular Western gym chains have a strong presence here, they are often more expensive than their Chinese counter-parts.

B Active Is one of the most popular 24 hour gyms for expats in Beijing located in Sanlitun. With its state of the art clean air systems ensuring the air remains crisp and clean, it is ideal for exercise if you suffer from respiratory problems stemming from pollution. Pay for a membership or pay as you go. Contact: 5900 4748, www.bactive.cn 

California Fitness Situated by the CBD in Guoma, this gym is all about the atmosphere. It includes a basketball court, a boxing ring and steam rooms. Contact 4008 100 988, www.china.californiafitness.com

Hiking

Unlike Shanghai, Beijing is surrounded by magnificent countryside. With national parks easily accessible from the city it is the ideal location to take up hiking; whether along the Great Wall, through dense forest or even around the outer suburbs of the city.

Beijing Hikers With walks ranging from an easy hike around Intelligence Valley to braving the trek up the hillsides of the Great Wall, Beijing Hikers offers a great opportunity to get fit and discover Chinese culture. Free meals are also often provided. Contact: 6432-2786 www.beijinghikers.com

Beijing Outdoor Adventure Club If you enjoy walking off the beaten track then this group of young adventurists might be for you. With no required level of fitness, Beijing Outdoor Adventure Club is open to anyone who wishes to explore the city and beyond. Contact :www.meetup.com/Beijing-Outdoor-Adventure-Club

Swimming

If you are particularly prone to the health implications from pollution, a great way to avoid doing exercise outside is to join a swimming club that often operates indoors. There are plenty of pools around the city if you wish to swim alone, however APA would recommend you make a social event out of it and join a swimming club.

Dragon Fire Swim Club Dragon Fire is an international swim club exclusively for children from 4- 17. It gives them an opportunity to make friends, get fit and compete in events. Training is offered 7 days a week at 3 different times. Dragon Fire also organize dance lessons so it’s easy to ensure your children also keep a healthy and energetic lifestyle. Contact: www.dragonfire.com






More than anything to have a healthy body you need to have a healthy mind. Moving abroad can be a stressful time in your life. APA China works with you to ensure that you can thrive in China in both mind and body.

Friday 7 August 2015

Good News for Expats in Beijing!

If you’re an expatriate working in Beijing then this week brings some good news. A new immigration regulation has been announced by the government that promises to make a significant difference to obtaining a Resident Permit.

In recognition of the fact that a 15 working day processing period for Resident Permits was inconvenient for many foreign employees in Beijing, who had to give up their passports for the entire period, the Public Security Bureau has reduced the processing time from 15 working days to 10 working days for the Residence permit applications. (This applies to both first time applications and renewals). This new regulation took effect from 1st August 2015.

The application period for a Work permit remains 5 working days for new application, and 1 working day for renewal application.

Not only will this new regulation reduce the length of time working expatriates and their families are without their passports (and therefore cant travel internationally) , but it may also help new arrivals get their household goods shipments a little sooner - since most moving companies will not ship household goods until the Resident Permit has been obtained.