Paddleboard yoga plus spinning makes Hong Kong dad fit to keep up with his kids
Busy executive Elliott Shadforth was inspired by his active family to get into shape. Averse to the heavy weights and grunting of a typical gym, he turned to two other workouts that are just as demanding
For Elliott Shadforth, being fit and healthy is as much a personal pursuit as it is a family one. A few years ago, the busy executive, father-of-three, and husband to an active wife realised it was a case of shape up or get left behind by his adventurous family.
“I did not want to be the dad who could not keep up with his kids,” says Shadforth, 42, originally from Australia.
A partner at accounting firm EY in Hong Kong, Shadforth admits his sportiness declined over the years as his career progressed. “I played plenty of sports in school and university, but – like most people – I found it became harder to maintain the activity when combined with work, and when the kids came along it became even more of a juggle.”
While he hasn’t experienced a “cycling midlife crisis”, Shadforth found that regular spinning sessions at Torq, an indoor cycling studio in Central, were the easiest way to tick the midweek exercise box.
These days I’ve found spinning at least three times a week is a prerequisite just to keep up with the family
“I was never a gym-goer, and wasn’t quite ready to embrace the dangers of outdoor cycling, so I found Torq struck a good balance. Each class is a little different, from 100 per cent cycling or a split class, where you may use the TRX [suspended bands that facilitate bodyweight exercises], smaller weights or other interval training.
