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I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions because I’m inherently lazy (there, I’ve said it!), knowing that by the end of January all my good intentions will have petered out. My yoga pants see more action on the sofa than they do in downward dog. This year, however, I’m pleased to announce that it’s now past March and I’m still going strong in my desire to get fit and and set a good example of healthiness for my son. I’ve trialled different gyms and yoga studios every week and worked out at home as well. So when the chance arose to try out Joint Dynamics, a small studio based in Central which encourages families to work out together, I got excited.
Joint Dynamics is Hong Kong’s first multidisciplinary studio that integrates physiotherapy, personal training and bodywork. The studio was founded by Colin Symmonds, a physiotherapist with nearly 25 years of clinical experience, who teamed up with movement specialist Jesse Gooding, a trainer with over 20 years of experience in team sports and martial arts. It is the first studio of its kind with no restrictions or age limitations and no monthly membership fees required. I love that there is strong encouragement for parents to bring their children and teenagers to their personal training sessions with them so that the whole family can work out together.
The concept of Joint Dynamics was conceived by Colin for the purposes of facilitating movement capability within each individual. The philosophy of the team is to challenge you no matter where you are on the spectrum of movement ability, making this ideal for people like me who essentially hate the gym and haven’t actively moved for a long time. There are no “gym bunnies” here — people are all shapes, sizes and ages. The studio’s aim is to give you back the body’s natural ability to move by pushing, pulling, squatting, lifting, crawling and rolling — actions our bodies were designed by nature to do.
As I spoke to Jesse about this “natural body movement”, he explained that as children we can all do these things with ease. For many of us, as we get older, stress, aging and sedentary lifestyles rob us of this ability, leaving us prone to injury and pain, which I can well attest to. If you want to move with your children, to be with them on the floor and on the monkey bars, then it’s time to get moving!
Jesse soon had Jonah and I doing squats, press ups, pull ups on rings and bars, headstands, rolls and crawling like different kinds of animals across the gym, all modified according to our ability. It was no surprise that my son took to it like a natural. He was incredibly happy to be swinging around like a monkey or learning to do a handstand. While I lacked his grace, I also enjoyed the session immensely. It made me feel good that my kid took so much pride in moving his body, and that I was learning from him too! By the end of our session, we were both sweating and feeling pretty energized — a lot of fun crammed into a short hour.
The studio have just now signed the lease to occupy another floor in the same building, allowing them to run more “traditional” classes for adults, kids and families at specified times during the week and on the weekend (kids’ classes will run at 4pm three times per week, and both parent and kids’ classes will run on the weekends). Currently, the classes are run “bespoke”, which means they can be organized according to peoples’ requirements and availability.
If you’re already an active sports person, Joint Dynamics’ experienced trainers (all with 10 years of experience or more) can challenge you to become stronger or move better. If you’re returning from injury or haven’t exercised in some time, the trainers are rehabilitation-experienced and qualified to assist safely with this process. And if you’re currently suffering from an injury, pain or dysfunction, the physiotherapists can assist with the first steps of your journey back to a full recovery. There really is no excuse not to move your body!
Joint Dynamic trainers come from a variety of backgrounds, including martial arts, weight lifting, gymnastics and movement. Train by yourself, with a friend or partner or together with your children (but only if you’re prepared for them to become better movers than you are!)
Joint Dynamics, 6/F, 122 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong, 2762 0528
