It's the little things that get you. Small seemingly insignificant moments that result in a tsunami of consequences. Like habitual breathing through one's mouth as a toddler or underestimating a business-mogul-turned-reality-star-turned-US-President-turned-convict-turned-US President-Again. So, yes. Small things. Like your hearing. That concert you attended; maybe you have ringing in your ears the next day but things return to normal. You shrug it off and, due to the hubris of youth, you attend that concert. And then another. Before you know it, your hearing is shit.
Dr Sumbul Desai, vice president of Health at Apple, wants to change people's perception of hearing health. "We actually don't think about anything related to our health until you lose it often. And I think that's one of the things that we're really trying to change is how do we drive people to be more proactive and preventative around their health to lead longer and healthier lives."
She sees hearing loss as a critical blow to one's health. "There is actually a seminal paper that came out last year in the Journal of American Medicine," Dr Desai said. "[It] talked about the strong connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline and shows that the more you lose your hearing over time. Without any hearing assistance, it can have a more detrimental impact on your cognition leading to dementia.
"Number two, hearing loss has shown to increase social isolation as well as increase loneliness depression. It impacts on your wellbeing because, if you think about it, it's how you connect."
Dr Desai cited her mother who has profound hearing loss and how exhausting it was to connect with her when she isn't using her hearing aid. That frustration can lead people into feeling isolated and with a lack of interpersonal connection, the well-being takes a hit.
But, as Dr Desai touched on before, prevention is better than cure. Your Apple AirPods Pro 2 can protect your hearing with Control mode switched on (go to Settings in iPhone > tap the name of your AirPods > tap Hearing Protection). With activated, your AirPods Pro 2 will note your surroundings and alert you if you're exposed to decibels exceeding unhealthy levels. It can also reduce the noise level as well.
When Apple first launched AirPods in 2016, it revolutionised what earphones can be: wireless, can be charged in its case, aesthetically pleasing. Spatial audio features and noise cancellation and transparency became part of the AirPods hallmarks. "We recognised that these features that make AirPods were actually the core building blocks needed to create these hearing health features," said John Ternus, senior vice president of Apple's Hardware Engineering.
Working with Dr Desai and her health team, Ternus shaped these audio devices to possess features that can impact hearing. Along with Control and Noise alert modes, the Airpods Pro 2 (and only that model) also has an FDA-approved Hearing Test that can also personalised a hearing aid function from the results.
To take the Hearing Test, your AirPods Pro 2 (with the latest firmware) needs to pair with an iPhone or iPad that are running on iOS or iPadOS 18.1 or later. The silicon tips of your AirPods Pro 2 must fit perfectly in your ears to create a seal.
Ensure that you're free of any otolaryngological maladies like a cold, a sinus infection, ear infection, allergies or were in a loud environment (like a concert) in the last 24 hours. Next, you'll need to find a quiet spot for the five-minute Hearing Test, which is a simple process of tapping the screen whenever you hear tones played at different volumes and frequencies.
I took the test lying down. While I could hear the blood rush in my ears, as the outside world closed about me, eyes closed, I was so deep in concentration, tapping on the screen whenever the beep came on. When the results came out, I wasn't convinced. So, I took it again for corroboration. The results were similar: both my ears suffer from "little to no loss".
But what if the results were worse? Then, there's the option to turn on Hearing Aid mode, which pumps up the sounds around you so that you can hear or you can tweak the balance to your specs. Hearing Aid mode also applies to the volume controls on the iPhone, like your calls or the videos you watch. Your AirPods Pro 2 are also a cheaper hearing aid than, well, the actual hearing aids themselves.
I'm not sure what the opinions of actual ENT doctors have on the Hearing Test but the ease of taking them and the "gamification" aspect can encourage users to take the tests and sometimes share (show off) the results. Like this is the aural version of "how much can you press, bro?" Imagine a bunch of men huddled together and comparing hearing results; this can be a positive push for preventative or remedy for one's hearing health and we like the sound of that.
Back for its fifth edition, Singapore's Mental Health Film Festival (MHFFS) will occur this week (7-10 November). This year's festival is all about breaking down barriers around mental health. With six international feature films following the theme "Building Bridges to Mental Well-being," and a whole lineup of meaningful discussions, this event promises more than just movies—it's about kickstarting conversations that matter.
Immerse yourself in the screenings—drawn from real-life stories that reflect the highs, lows, and everything in between of mental health struggles. Think dementia, navigating family dynamics and even caregiver burnout—the things that we rarely discuss but should. This year's picks included heartfelt tales like Tan Pei Lin's LADY!, a moving story of love and resilience in the face of young-onset dementia. As well as Kim Hopkins' A Bunch of Amateurs, a warm look at companionship in today's digital age. If you're into animation, Deep Sea is a stunning 3D-animated journey exploring themes like childhood abandonment and depression.
Another film to look out for is All the Long Nights and how the disorders mentioned in it might be easily seen as trivial but are more serious than one assumes. Misa Fujisawa (Mone Kamishiraishi) experiences extreme PMS while her new colleague, Takatoshi Yamazoe (Hokuto Matsumura) suffers from panic disorder. Watch as the two become aware of each other's struggles and the support that they provide.
But the films are only part of the experience. After each screening, there are talks that feature mental health professionals and people with lived experiences. These panels are all geared toward sparking open and honest discussions. Chairperson of MHFFS, Dr Jade Kua put it best, "MHFFS films and conversations allow people to see themselves, feel understood and find hope. Our goal is to encourage honest dialogue, foster understanding, and build a more compassionate community that embraces mental well-being for all.”
If you're wondering what the future of mental health storytelling looks like, the Short Film Youth Competition (SFYC) might be the ticket. Open to filmmakers under 35, SFYC aims to inspire young creators to tackle mental health through the medium of film. It's a competition, sure, but it's also a platform for young voices to showcase their work. The top 22 finalists' films will be screened during the festival, followed by Q&A sessions that will shed insights into their films.
Tickets are available now available.
It’s likely you didn’t notice the effect. But if the last time you visited your doctor they spent a little more time than usual with you, there’s a good chance you felt somewhat better afterwards. “Doctors tend to be very time-pressured these days, but even just a few extra seconds can do the work,” says Liesbeth Van Vliet, assistant professor at the Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology at the University of Leiden. “Just sitting down or making more eye contact can make the difference. It seems that the more you like your doctor, the more empathetic the doctor is, the better the patient feels after their consultation”.
Indeed, while doctors have long been cherished by patients for their ‘bedside manner’, Van Vliet points out that what lies behind this is something of a mysterious concept. She’s part of the team at the university’s new Center for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies, created to research a phenomena that you may have heard of, but not quite understand: the placebo effect. That’s when there are positive healthcare results but these results are not attributable to the technical medical aspects of their care. You can, for example, give someone a pill that is chemically inert. It can’t work pharmacologically, and yet work it does.
While there is now a considerable push to find out how the placebo effect operates in clinical practice it suggests that there is more to the interplay of mind and body in the body’s healing and the patient’s experience than has long been appreciated by Western medicine. While some of those investigating the phenomena say it likely operates at some intersection of epigenetics, neurobiology and psychology, it seems to be primed by a combination of the relationship between doctor and patient, the patient’s expectation—“if we are encouraged to expect a pill to work better, it will,” says Van Vliet—and conditioning, much as Pavlov’s famed dog could be primed to salivate by the ringing of a bell, once it had been conditioned to associate the sound with being fed.
So the rituals around seeing a doctor, in developed countries at least—making an appointment, travelling for consultation, undressing for examination, being given a prescription, and so on—and the imagery that surrounds those activities—white coats, stethoscopes, clipboards, those pale green walls, that distinctive hospital smell— prompt the release of feel-good neurotransmitters with increased activity in parts of the brain related to mood and emotions, but also, more simply, ready us to feel better. It’s why, too, many of the rituals around ‘healthy living’—diet, exercise, relaxation and mental wellness and so on—may also provide a placebo effect above and beyond those behaviours’ measurable effects.
“The idea that all we take from that whole process is chemicals from pills is myopic,” reckons Kathryn Hall, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of Placebos (MIT Press). “That’s why I, for one, feel better the minute I make an appointment with my doctor”. Just taking a pill—even a sugar or dummy pill—has a placebo effect. Having an injection—more invasive, more ‘medical’—has a greater placebo effect than a pill. It’s been found that pharmaceutical pills can be quietly replaced with a placebo with no change in health outcomes. Indeed, the fact that prescribed drugs often have minimal pharmaceutical effect in treatment anyway—as few as one in 10 according to one study—suggests that they are in some way working in concert with the placebo effect. Now the placebo effect is limited. It won’t, for example, cure cancer or fight a bacterial infection—drugs will be required for such very bodily, biological problems. The placebo effect has no part in unscientific New Age claims that you can simply think yourself better. But studies do suggest that it’s particularly beneficial in pain management, and in those many conditions in which stress is a major part: depression, PTSD, hypertension, fatigue, IBS, asthma, diabetes, other inflammatory diseases and so on.
"We have drugs that people have done amazing testing on, demonstrated how they work, shown them to be safe to go into humans and yet turn out to be no better than placebo. We have to ask why,” Hall insists. “What is it that we’re missing?”
Unfortunately, says Jeremy Howick, there’s a strong resistance— at best a grudging reluctance— within the medical establishment to accepting the placebo effect at all. “The placebo effect just can’t be dismissed as ‘not real’ any more. In fact, we’re building sufficient knowledge about it now that, I’d argue, it’s time for a revolution in the placebo effect that sees entrepreneurs rather than academics take its potential forward into implementation,” “argues Howick, professor of empathic healthcare at the University of Leicester, UK, and author of the recently published The Power of Placebos (John Hopkins University Press).
“Placebo studies were fringe just a couple of decades ago. They were considered wacky by the mainstream,” Howick adds. “The ‘placebo effect’ still gets used by some people in a derogatory way, in part because medicine has this undue focus on the bio- mechanical idea of the body—that it’s just a very complicated machine. Studies have gradually taken it into the mainstream”.
But not quite far enough, worries Hall. “I remember my mentor saying that when he would talk about placebos there would be nervous laughter. And still, not enough people take the idea seriously,” she suggests. In part that is because, as Howick points out, “it calls into question a lot of our drug-oriented medical training”. It summons up the spirits of woo-woo, of the mystical and metaphysical—all of which medicine, with its emphasis on the scientific method, is unsurprisingly dubious about.
And, certainly, there is much about the placebo effect that is, at the moment, hard to comprehend. Howick may argue that, since most of our thoughts are subconscious, the way our body reacts to a positive experience—for example, an unhurried appointment with a genuinely concerned doctor who isn’t time-pressured or over-burdened with form-filling, as so many are—has, ostensibly, little to do with what we consciously think about it. But even he still sounds surprised by the fact that “there’s a placebo response even if the doctor tells you that they’re giving you a placebo treatment”.
To make that clear: as if the placebo effect wasn’t already weird, it works even when you know, categorically, that there’s no active drug in your treatment; that is, if you take what medical types call an ‘open-label non-deceptive’ drug, the body is nonetheless tricked into thinking it’s getting some healing effect. You can even undergo what’s called sham surgery—in which there’s no actual surgery—and improve your shoulder impingement or knee osteoarthritis.
Likewise, while belief can play a huge part in the effectiveness of the placebo effect, studies suggest it works even with sceptics. Fabrizio Benedetti isn’t quite sure why this is so surprising—that we often knowingly experience the placebo effect in our everyday lives is self- evident, he suggests—and draws an analogy with watching a film.
“Movies are powerful triggers of strong emotional responses, ranging from love and tears to heartache and fear,” says Benedetti, professor of neurophysiology at the University of Turin Medical School. “These reactions take place even though the viewer is aware that everything is fiction. Considering human evolution and biology, this is quite surprising, as these reactions are supposed to have evolved for social interaction and survival. The fact that they take place during movie viewing even though neither social interaction nor survival is at stake indicates that emotional and behavioural responses can be elicited unconsciously— automatically—by merely simulating situations of real life”.
Yet you can see why the medical establishment might be wary of leaping to the same conclusion; the placebo effect might be why some "alternative" medicines—typically marginalised as lacking in evidence for their efficacy—actually work for some people, and so maybe shouldn’t be as dismissed quite so readily.
“There are quacks, of course,” Howick insists. “But perhaps the fact is that ‘alternative’ medicine practitioners are just better at evoking the placebo effect. Their philosophy aligns more with the science of placebos. It’s not that they’ve used crystals. It’s that they have given more time, attention and consideration to their patients and that has a positive effect. All this calls into question a lot of the fundamental tenets of modern medicine”.
There are also what Elissa Patterson, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, notes as being more political reasons why the placebo effect is still pushed back out to the margins—not least that powerful pharmaceutical companies are not overly keen on the idea that we could be using fewer drugs, despite our current over-use of them, with all of their side-effects to boot.
“People in medicine are really nervous about the placebo effect because they want ideas to be evidence-based. [The general public] tend to want to align with what’s scientific, too, because of that fear of snake oil salesmen,” she says. “I’ve seen people who get better and then hedge because they’re embarrassed, even ashamed by it being explained by the placebo effect. There’s the cultural belief that those who respond to it are weak or foolish. But evidence is often marketing material from pharmaceutical companies, so there’s no big push to champion anything that doesn’t make money, and the placebo effect doesn’t”.
The placebo effect has no part in unscientific New Age claims that you can simply think yourself better. But studies do suggest that it's particularly beneficial in pain management, and in those many conditions in which stress is a major part: depression, PTSD, hypertension, fatigue, IBS, asthma, diabetes, other inflammatory diseases.
As Kathryn Hall puts it, “Nobody wants to rock the boat”. That’s even though regulatory bodies won’t sanction a new drug unless, as is the gold standard for drug testing, it outperforms a placebo—sugar pills and the like—in blind trials. That can not only mean that certain drugs, long known to be of benefit in ameliorating certain diseases, can’t actually be used to this end, but also that some pharmaceutical companies are no longer trying to develop treatments for the likes of chronic pain and depression—two of the most widespread and debilitating medical issues—because beating the placebo effect is too expensive and too taxing.
Indeed, as Hall points out, the very fact that the placebo effect is built into drug trials makes such trials ineffective—as expectation promotes a placebo response whether the test subject is taking an active pill or an inert one. “We have drugs that people have done amazing testing on, demonstrated how they work, shown them to be safe to go into humans and yet turn out to be no better than placebo. We have to ask why,” Hall insists. “What is it that we’re missing?”.
The implications of further research—answering the many questions being raised about the placebo effect—would likely be profound, says Patterson, bringing broad institutional change, from the way pharmaceuticals are created to the nature of doctor/ patient interactions.
“We might even just save a lot of money by giving doctors the [freedom] to administer placebos when they feel there is benefit in doing something [other than just prescribing ineffective or potentially harmful drugs] when the best course of action is to get out of the way and let healing happen,” she says. “We need to start seeing the brain’s power to heal yourself as a kind of super-power”.
Do you ever think if farmers from a century ago could see what we call a workout these days, they would genuinely be so confused? When they tirelessly endure a full day of manual labour to get paid, but we pay to do pretty much the exact same movements? There is literally a station called Farmer's Carry in Hyrox.
Not to incur the infamous defensive wrath of CrossFit fanatics, but the fitness competition is ultimately a first-world privilege. Sure, it’s a fun bonding activity and a novel personal challenge. Yet if you can’t picture pitching the concept to developing nations; where they are required to purchase not only participation, but training at gyms that specifically provide a dedicated programme (yeah, look it up), then the debate settles itself.
It’s just how the times have fashioned our attitudes. We do crash diets rather than cultivate healthy eating choices. We take pills to sleep rather than incorporate plans to fix terrible bedtime patterns. We shell out thousands for Botox rather than inculcate a lifestyle that actively resists aging.
The only reason why cure looks sexier than prevention is because the latter involves time and effort. And the modern age has convinced us that those are things we can’t afford. Whereas it is certainly much easier to throw money to achieve a quick fix, despite the cost of meagre durability.
For a people who are barely willing to get up to switch the light on and would much prefer telling their robot assistant to do it for them, let’s not be too ambitious. For a society that outsources feeding pets with automatic dispensers, let’s not get carried away.
What self-help books are right about is how we would naturally give up when the time taken to reach the goal is too short; and necessary actions are subsequently big to bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be.
If we could simply reframe our expectations from overnight success to small building blocks that set us up for lasting benefit, we might realise that tiny adjustments can eventually ripple larger effects. As psychology proves—what we mistake for willpower is often a hallmark of habit.
90 days of lifestyle modification may seem daunting, but repetition in minute doses usually isn’t. Whether it is using streak-based motivation AKA the Duolingo method, or tying it to an existing daily routine, we have to trust that these little shifts will attain results should we have the patience to see them through.
The greatest impetus is that even if you avoid starting now, the time passes all the same. So why waste three months of what could be foundational moments of helping your future self? Perhaps if we embark on a long-term, balanced way of living, probably then we wouldn’t need to engage in a race to tell us how fit we are for only that particular chapter of life.
Nike launched the "Win On Air" Experience, an event that was featured on a two-story high display. Spanning three-levels and 28,000 sqm at Nike Orchard Road, the retail space is more than a store—it's a sport hub tailored to support athletes of all ages in achieving their goals.
When it was shown, the video highlighted the power of Nike Air on the facade, showcasing athletes such as Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappé, Track & Field sensation Sha'Carri Richardson and French Basketball player Victor Wembanyama all decked out in Nike footwear.
Nike Members can enjoy exclusive access to new in-store events and services through the Nike App during the "Win On Air" experience.
Events include an immersive customisation experience featuring the exclusive "Win On Air" and "Air Studio" collections, available for a limited time. These collections can be customised on t-shirts and hats. To capture the dynamic energy of athletes, Nike By You has partnered with Singaporean artist Teo Chong Wah for this special collection.
For those eager to break a sweat, the Run Swoosh Session provides an audio-guided or coach-led treadmill experience, bringing the local running community together with a five-kilometre run. Participants will also have the opportunity to test the all-new Nike Pegasus 41 Blueprint.
Nike is committed to helping its athletes break new grounds at the upcoming Olympics in Paris with re-engineered footwear featuring the Air Zoom innovation, optimised for maximum energy return. The Pegasus 41 Blueprint celebrates Nike's evolution, drawing inspiration from Bill Bowerman's original designs. It features unique elements like a speckled Swoosh logo, insole sketches of feet, and 'Air Zoom' on the toe cap.
(NIKE)
Experience lightweight energy return with dual Air Zoom units and a ReactX foam midsole around the forefoot. Not only that, but the enhanced upper mesh reduces weight and increases breathability. The ReactX foam midsole is 13 per cent more responsive than previous React technology. Killing two birds with one stone, it's designed for both performance and sustainability. Reducing its carbon footprint by at least 43 per cent per pair compared to the previous React foam, thanks to a more efficient manufacturing process.
Here is a reminder: It’s 2024 and there is absolutely no reason why a regular self-care day isn’t already a part of your routine. It’s so easy to get caught up in the constant chase for success that we sometimes forget that our bodies, minds and spirits need to be rejuvenated every so often. As much as we feel like well-oiled machines after years of stress-inducing hard work to get to where we are now, let’s face it: the stress never ends. Self-care is a necessity.
Much like how one’s idea of success is personal and varied, the choice of self-care is individual and multifarious. Getting my body pummelled and cracked into submission by a professional makes for the perfect therapy for me. It’s the reason I go for an osteopathy session almost monthly. It’s a way of preventing muscle injury from running, as well as loosening up the accumulated tension in my neck and back. I leave feeling like a new person after every session. My entire posture feels more open, and everything feels lighter. And such results are typically what I look for when trying out new massage experiences. Granted that osteopathy and massage therapies aren’t the same, there still ought to be a noticeable change in how one feels after going for either one. They aren’t effects you’d only be able to notice after multiple sessions; they are not facial treatments.
I have heard glowing reviews of the COMO Shambhala Signature Massage from several lifestyle editors who’ve tried it. And so when COMO Shambhala Singapore offered one as part of a tour of its new flagship, I jumped at the opportunity. Scheduled for the third day of 2024, sandwiched between a couple of nights of New Year’s Eve shenanigans and a two-week sojourn in Milan and Paris for Fashion Week Men’s, the timing couldn’t be better. Yeah, I definitely needed a good massage.
The new COMO Shambhala Singapore flagship is located on the fourth level of COMO Orchard, which is a self-care hub in itself, with Cédric Grolet’s Singapore outpost located on the ground floor, next to multi-label boutique Club 21, and COMO Cuisine on the second level. Stepping out of the elevators and into COMO Shambhala Singapore, however, one gets a sense of how it has been consciously and intently designed to be a wellness oasis despite being at the centre of one of the busiest spots in the city.
Wes Anderson immediately came to mind as I am greeted by tiles in a familiar shade of calming blue. The interiors were however designed by Milan-based designer and architect Paola Navone of OTTO Studio (she’s also behind the designs of other COMO projects), with the colour choice meant to reflect healing waters. The pastel hue is complemented by the use of greys and everything appears to be symmetrically aligned.
COMO Shambhala Singapore takes up an entire floor, spanning 9,000 square feet, with 1,500 square feet dedicated to a well-equipped gym to the right of the lounge and retail space. I was ushered into a private room towards the left, a small flight of stairs up past the yoga and pilates studios. The facial and massage rooms are all located down this corridor, including rooms designed for couples to enjoy treatments together.
I was informed that Master Song, the lead therapist and trainer, has been with COMO Shambhala for about five years. Before that, he had been practising traditional Thai massage since the late ‘90s. I was assured I would be in the best hands. I settled facedown under the covers—the bed was very plush and comfortable—and Master Song got to work.
I have noticed that the kinds of massages that leave me in unexplored states of bliss tend to be the ones that are specifically targeted. Sure, the strength of pressure applied counts, but getting them applied to spots that would do nothing but inflict pain seems counterintuitive. That was certainly not the case with Master Song. I was asked if I had any specific areas that I would like to work on. “Neck, shoulders and legs, please,” I responded, enumerating the three areas I struggle with the most.
Master Song’s expertise came into play from the very first touch. He knew the right points to concentrate on—which is surprising given that this was our first session together—and had me melting into the bed within a minute. He checked in after a few minutes of me stifling any guttural moans (it was that good), asking if the pressure was sufficient. I could only muster out an “uh-huh” as he continued to work on my neck. It was at this point that I felt certain I astral projected out of my body for a good 30 seconds. I’m not even embarrassed to say that I might have teared up a bit at the release of tension in my neck.
Every move was precisely targeted. For someone who is used to hard-pressure massages (at my request) this felt even more satisfying because I left the session without any aching from over-exertion on unnecessary spots. I didn’t want the hour-long session to end.
Given the level of expertise as well as the facilities—the changing rooms where the washrooms are located are immaculate—the COMO Shambhala Singapore experience is a luxury that’s reflected in its price point. A 60-minute COMO Shambhala Massage costs SGD220 and SGD330 for a 90-minute session. But if luxury is what you need and deserve to rejuvenate, there aren’t many out there that’ll be as life-changing as what you’ll experience at COMO Shambhala Singapore. Like I said, self-care is necessary.
It used to be that a watch was used to tell time. Sure, there were the occasional chronographic trimmings, but mostly, it was supposed to inform the user of the hour, the date. Then, companies added more bells and whistles to the wrist implement. They made it able to count your steps; help you navigate; track your heartbeat... the list goes on. And now the watch has grown beyond the initial scope of a timepiece.
These days, we refer to it as a smartwatch and it’s changing the way we monitor our health. Because it’s unobtrusive and in contact with our skin for most of our day, it can collate a host of information about our bodies that we have no idea that it’s giving out. For example, when a feature was able to track one’s heart rate, I didn’t quite understand how it worked. Does the smartwatch pick up the slight throbs from the wrist? It was a year later that I found out that it measures heart rate using the flashing green LED light emitted on the rear of the smartwatch. It’s called photoplethysmography and it gets a reading of the heart rate by how much green light is absorbed by the red blood cells as the blood vessels expand and contract. Expanded blood vessels takes in more green light; contracted blood vessels absorb less. #nowyouknow.
Another feature that seems almost like magic (props to Arthur C Clarke) is sleep tracking. Usually, in a sleep study, you’re hooked up to a polysomnograph via electrodes to record your EEG (electroencephalogram), ECG (electrocardiogram), EOG (electrooculography) and EMG (electromyography) readings. A smartwatch doesn’t have electrodes so, instead, it relies on the watch’s accelerometers to measure how many movements you make during sleep.
These are the big two features that all smartwatch users are familiar with but they are just the tip of the iceberg, especially when it comes to the Apple Watch, which has a slew more attributes that the majority tend to overlook. While records of your heart rate and your sleep patterns are fine, the more information that the Apple Watch collates (balance; oxygen in the blood; mental state), the clearer the picture of your state of health that comes to the fore.
We discovered more things that the Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 9 can do at the recent Apple Health Summit.
Any data that the Apple Watch collects is not shared with Apple or any third party, that was stressed no less than three times during our session with Apple. Tim Cook was adamant about Apple’s stance on privacy, which it believes is a “fundamental human right”. But if you want to, you can share your crucial health data with your family members or caregivers who are also Apple users. Info like high heart rate alerts, irregular rhythm notifications will keep your inner circle in the know so that they can check in on you.
When it comes to longevity in health, mobility ranks high on the list. Think about it: when you start to feel painand strain from even the most basic task like walking, your quality of life dips. In fact, the act of walking can be a key indicator of any injury, it is also the representation of one’s ability to age with independence. The Mobility Metrics measures your walking performance—the speed; step length; asymmetry—from the results you can ascertain where you place mobility-wise.
While the accelerator on the smartwatch alone is enough to measure your strides, the Mobility Metrics work better when you also have your Apple iPhone holstered at your waist. With a secondary accelerometer, you’ll get a more accurate reading of your walking state.
When our smartphones become more ubiquitous, it’s inevitable that the majority of our lives will be spent in front of screens. Excessive screen time strains the eyes and leaves them dry. Worst-case scenario: you’ll get retina damage and blurred vision. Myopia is another leading cause of vision impairment, especially for children since the risk of myopia rises when they don’t spend time outdoors and the distance between their peepers and screen are not at a respectable distance away from each other.
Here’s where Apple safeguards your vision health. You can view the amount of time spent in daylight thanks to your Apple Watch, which measures time spent in daylight using an ambient light sensor. Going out to bathe in the sun rays is encouraged as it boosts immunity; hones your circadian rhythm so that you can sleep better; fights off depression, among a host of benefits.
You can also program your iPhone to switch on the Screen Distance feature. It uses the TrueDepth camera and alerts you if it senses that your face is too close.
Your physical appearance may be up to par but what’s on the inside counts, especially, inside your head. We’re not talking about therapy; that requires finesse... hell, even a human touch. No, when it comes to your mental well-being, the Apple Watch is forcing you to slow down.
Now this was the hardest feature to adopt. Having lived out most of my adult life in the rat race, I’m encouraged to stop and smell the roses. The Mindfulness app in watchOS 10 engages you to catalogue how you feel at the moment. It sounds like blogging but the Mindfulness nudges you into identifying what led you to your current state. With these insights, you can better manage your overall mental health, which is much needed in today’s fast-paced world.
For a long time, I was a slave to the gym. I did four or five sessions a week, so it wasn’t excessive, but it still felt like I was always there. Factoring in travel, washing and the workout itself—which adds up to about seven hours a week—the gym process took up a huge chunk of my leisure schedule. And that’s before we even get into diet.
Conscious to supplement (and not undo) all my hard work, I was on and off on a strict plan. Protein shakes and chicken salads without the dressing were my staples, and I was terrified of carbs. Of course, carbs are hard to avoid, especially if you’re social. After celebrations involving birthday cake, or pizza at a festival, I would punish myself. The following day would require a double session, and I’d go on a liquid “detox” for a couple of days. Soup, lemon water, cold-pressed juice... anything that’d run through me as quickly as possible without lingering over my stomach.
Obsessing with my body was miserable, but I never admitted it. Everybody else around me was doing the same, and we revelled in the camaraderie. If someone in the office brought back a Burger King lunch, they were ridiculed. But we were salivating long after our raw veg bowl was done, the aroma of their onion rings killing us inside.
When I moved into a career in travel, my health routine became less rigid, and my obsession with weight and tone calmed down. I mixed hotel gym workouts with running outside and signed up for things like surfing or scuba. I wanted to taste the world’s bounty, so I ate more freely too. My six-pack disappeared quickly, as it did any time I paused the vigorous abs crunches and ate regular foods, but guess what? I didn’t balloon in size. I remained the same weight and my energy levels were still pretty high. Being active every day was burning plenty of calories without me realising it.
A century ago, 10 per cent of us led sedentary lives, but now that figure in developed cities is more like 90 per cent. On top of that, we’re ordering our groceries online, and taking rideshares door to door.
The thing that is making us unhealthy is less our carbs and ketchup, but all the sitting. Surely exerting energy naturally or socially is more fun and sustainable than staring at a treadmill screen or a mat-side mirror? Gyms are boring. That’s why half of people who sign up for them in January end up quitting.
I recently went to Zurich, Switzerland, and the Lindt Home of Chocolate Museum is the country’s number one attraction. Chocoholic or not, I had to visit and do it properly. If this were during my gym-addict days, the trip would have been excruciating. I wouldn’t have done the truffle-making class, gone to every tasting station, or bought pralines to take home. Now I was able to immerse myself fully. I asked someone at the museum how the employees stay fit working among so much temptation, and the response was simple. “The Swiss walk everywhere”. Indeed, that day alone, I had completed 24,000 steps. That more than justified the confectionary samples.
I used to think it was ironic Red Bull sponsored all the big sporting events, like racing and diving. But I now understand why they do it, aside from promoting the energy aspect of the drink.
Wong and the realisation that there's more to the gym-bro life
Look at people in the blue zones. Most of them have never set foot in the gym, nor do they count their calories. Those Okinawans, Sardinians, and Ikarians are living the longest on a workout routine simply called life. They’re moving naturally, and eating whatever they want, granted it’s mostly delicious whole foods and red wine. In a big city, where cooking from scratch is less common, we can still enjoy the things we want to, in moderation. Eighty-four per cent of Singaporeans allot time for exercise at least once a week. If you make sure that’s combined with ample natural daily activity, like walking (or better, running) you’re covered for those treats. Hey, you might even find yourself dancing.
I used to think it was ironic Red Bull sponsored all the big sporting events, like racing and diving. But I now understand why they do it, aside from promoting the energy aspect of the drink. They’re not saying consume sugar all day every day. They’re saying, for the big exhilarating occasions, come on over and wet your lips. Maximise the earth’s opportunities to make real memories, and stop wasting time and money confined in four walls of apparatus and the box of dietary restrictions they’re synonymous with.
Speaking of money, I don’t think people realise how much it all adds up to in a lifetime, assuming you don’t have a gym at home. Say you spend SGD200 a month at Virgin Active: that’s SGD2,400 a year on the club, plus whatever you purchase at MBS’ activewear chain stores. Protein shakes are expensive, too. Instead, how about picking up a racket and joining a tennis group for a low-cost, high-return sweat every week? And if you absolutely must have that fancy Andy Murray Castore gear, showcase it out on the courts, not the gym floor, you’ll get more admiring eyeballs.
It’s been years since my last direct debit to a gym, and I think I’m just as healthy if not more than I was before. I carried out repetitive motions five times a week, binged at parties, and then deprived myself till the next one. My goal then was not to feel good but to look good. Though I don’t have a six-pack any more, I have miles more energy than when I did (or is that the Red Bull?). I owe it to appreciating the great outdoors, where I walk at least 10,000 steps a day, or take long picnics with friends (strawberry cake and dancing to K-Pop’s always a good time). Not thinking about the ensuing detox has been great for my mental health too. If we want to live as long as those blue zoners, we should take a leaf out of their not-so-secret habits. Movement without dumbbells and treadmills, and spending our hard-earned dollars on things that put a real spring in our step no matter what age we make it to.
If we ask you to think of Bali’s best-known wellness activities, meditation, yoga and various other cross-legged pursuits will probably spring to mind. DJ Harvey would like to remind you that there’s another practice people have been using to get their chakras aligned, their spirits uplifted and their auras cleansed since our cave-dwelling days.
“Dancing around is as ancient and as natural as getting up in the morning,” says the legendary British disc jockey. Harvey argues that rather than being debauched or hedonistic, going out to dance all night is in fact an act of self-care. “If it puts a smile on your face and makes you happy, that’s mental health, that’s healthy. And if you happen to get some aerobic exercise from it, that’s physical health. And if you make a new friend, all the better.”
In Harvey’s view, “Dancing to music is a wonderful pursuit. I can’t see anything wrong with it in any way, shape, or form. It’s completely beneficial in every single way.” Should you find yourself in Bali in May—and isn’t that why people go to Bali, to find themselves?—you can sample Harvey’s brand of spiritual healing during his month-long residence at Klymax, the new club he’s established at Desa Potatohead in Seminyak.
The 400-capacity subterranean space was designed to Harvey’s exacting specs, from the state-of-the-art sound system down to a gentle sprinkling of dust on the disco ball, which softens its effect, Harvey reckons. A visual reflection of the ‘cosmic disco’ sound Harvey is often associated with, Klymax’s aesthetic resembles a nightclub scene from a stylish 1970s sci-fi movie—except instead of Michael York or Charlton Heston, here, you’re the star.
The technology used in DJing has advanced immensely over the course of Harvey’s five-decade career. But at the end of the day (or the end of the night, as the case may be), success as a DJ comes down to playing the right music to suit the moment and the mood, Harvey says.
“You choose a record, and then you choose the next one—hopefully you haven’t chosen them all before you get to the party, which some people do,” he chides. “You play some music and hope people like it, and then you play another tune and hope they like that, and you try to get from one record to the next without bringing the dance floor to a screeching halt. And if everyone’s smiling at the end, you’ve done your job, simple as that.”
As space-age as Klymax may appear, as high-tech as the equipment he uses is, the partying Harvey presides over is part of a tradition dating back to the most primitive times, at the very dawn of mankind. “The frequencies don’t change, just the delivery. It used to be we’d beat a stick on a log, now you press a green button. But the rhythm that comes out, that has never changed and can never change because they are frequencies and rhythms that tune into the frequencies and rhythms of your existence,” Harvey believes. “That stuff doesn’t change, it’s just the medium which produces those rhythms or frequencies that evolves.”
Farina Ghanie, who runs wellness retreats for stressed-out executives in Singapore under the moniker ARISE, says dancing and getting out of your head (perhaps in more ways than one) possess plenty of parallels with the more esoteric forms of mind-body-spirit wellness. “Dancing is effectively a form of meditation because you are one with yourself,” she says. “It’s about connecting with your breath, being connected with your body. It’s similar to when elite sports athletes get into a hyper focus state. That is a form of meditation, too, because everything external, all the ‘noise’ is removed, and they only focus on one thing.”
More and more men are coming to recognise the importance of taking time for physical and mental self-care before they reach the stage of burning out. “At our retreats, we teach very simple practices like breath work—it’s just breathing, you don’t have to look at it as something spiritual or ‘new age’,” Ghanie says. “It’s just about you, showing up for yourself and giving yourself time to breathe, and just being. It’s about acknowledging the need for these moments of self-care and self-love, the need to recharge our batteries and to make time for ourselves because life is so chaotic.”
According to Ghanie, many men who attend one of her retreats use it as a way of gaining certain skills necessary to better look after their own physical wellness and mental health, independently. “We help people to experience these ancient tools and techniques that have existed in Asia for thousands of years, that really help with mindfulness,” she says. “These wellness experiences calm the nervous system, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. And when you do that, that’s when the magic happens—you get clarity, you get quietness of the mind, you get focus, and you get creativity coming out.”
Musician, designer and artist Kiat says for him, creative self-expression is cathartic. “Making music had long been my main form of personal therapy, but I’d always seen it as something to share in person, something linked to a physical space, a sound system, to an actual physical interaction, which wasn’t possible during the pandemic.” During the lockdowns, he says, “I started taking up the brush a lot more, purely out of the need to express myself, not for anyone else, without any feedback, because when I’m painting, it’s just me and the canvas.”
Kiat says when he began making art for art’s sake, painting for the fun of it, “A strange thing happened. I not only felt better—I literally felt like the weight of the world had lifted, I felt a lot lighter, less anxious, I could breathe a bit more. But also, the more I painted and the better I felt, the more my professional work life improved, the more freelance jobs started coming in, even in the middle of the pandemic.”
The lesson Kiat took away from this intense period was, “Sometimes things don’t work out exactly as you wanted or how you’d planned, but it’s ok as long as you keep creating, and as long as you create for yourself, rather than create for other people. Just exercise pure creativity, whether that be through cooking, gardening, writing, painting, singing, dancing, whatever. It’s ok not to be perfect or to reach a finish point—just enjoy the experience. That in itself is its own reward.”
adidas doesn't get as much credit as it should with its running shoes. I mean, sure they were name-dropped by Run DMC but adidas are pretty good in the innovation department. The company came up with 4D printing as well as the Boost midsole tech... now that latter was a game changer. A reactive bouncy foam that returns energy with each stride? It scored higher than EVA (ethylene vinyl-acetate) soles. The Boost tech is made from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), which, like the EVA, does the whole cushioning, superior durability look but it also has a "high abrasion resistance".
So, we tried the adidas Supernova, a model that's made as an entry-level trainers for beginner runners. With a padded mesh upper, it has the Dreamstrike+ midsoles and other similar support rods. There's a considerable stack height. The best part of this was its Solution feature, which offers added longitudinal stability. So you've got your comfort with the Dreamstrike+ and then stability with the Solution.
Here's how good the Supernova Solution was: We started running and easily cleared three kilometres; each impact of my footfalls resulted in a "snap". Then, sensing little-to-no fatigue in the lower extremities, we decided to continue another 10km. I was able to maintain my running gait for much longer. At five kilometres, my speed has slowed but my feet were so cushioned that it never occured to me to stop.
Overall, the Supernova Solution is muy bueno. And considering that it's made out of recycled materials, this is not too shabby.
Urban life. While that promises living comforts, urban living can stifle the body and souls. You need to step out, "touch grass" as they say. every step counts. HOKA, the titan in performance footwear rewrites the playbook with the release of their latest lifestyle marvel: the Kawana 2. Not just another pair of running shoes, these are a statement on the track. What you have on your feet is a fusion of form and function that necessitates into the tapestry of daily movement.
In your navigation of the streets, seamlessly transition from pavement to studio; work to play; that's where the Kawana 2 shines brightest. Aside from its design, it's all down to the nitty-grittiness of its construction. There's the enhanced foot lockdown and cushioned comfort; and the Kawana 2 is engineered for the dynamic demands of urban life.
Find the Kawana 2 at HOKA's latest pop-up at Foot Locker Orchard. From now until 25 April, immerse yourself in a diverse range of footwear, from signature running shoes to everyday essentials like, I mean, since we're on the topic, the Kawana 2.
And the best part? Not only do you walk away with your own HOKA shoes, you get to receive a complimentary tote bag that you can personalise.
Is male menopause real? Catchy as it sounds, “male menopause” is actually a misnomer. Men do not go through the same experiences as women during menopause. Any parallels that are implied aren’t actually there. The more accurate term for men experiencing hormonal changes—typically between the ages of 40 and 60—is andropause.
Andropause occurs when the body’s production of testosterone decreases. This drop in testosterone levels is, however, not sudden and drastic like what typically happens during menopause. Rather, testosterone production typically sees a steady decrease from age 30 onwards.
Statistically, more than half of men aged 60 to 70 would have experienced andropause and its accompanying symptoms. These symptoms are often subtle, given the gradual decline in testosterone levels. Still, they are noticeable. Common ones include lower cognitive functioning and energy levels, reduced muscle mass, increased mood volatility, greater chances of depressive moods and lower libido.
To be fair, the jury is still out on whether these symptoms are a direct result of just reduced testosterone production or if ageing and other lifestyle choices also have a part to play. Nevertheless, there are very real effects of lower testosterone levels in older men.
Mood changes, in particular, feature very strongly in andropause. It may be tempting to write someone off as a “crabby” or “grumpy” old guy and chalk it up to a natural part of ageing. But the gruffness that we see may be an indication of depressive symptoms. Know this: depression presents itself variedly according to the individual. A person may be more irritable than usual. They display anger more quickly than in the past or lose interest in daily activities altogether. These are all symptoms of depression—the condition is much more than just “being blue”.
For many, the symptoms that come with andropause can be a big blow to their self-esteem and sense of self. What compounds the issue is how andropause can be a tricky topic to navigate. Especially with all the misconceptions surrounding it. Being a source of support for someone experiencing andropause is similar to that for someone with a chronic illness or disorder. In that a great deal of patience, understanding and tact is necessary. Hence, respecting someone’s need for space and reluctance to speak can be just as important as letting them know about the consistent support that they have.
The good news about andropause is that many of its symptoms can be better managed with healthier lifestyle choices. By extension, support for an individual with andropause can also come in the form of modelling healthier habits yourself. Whether as a caregiver, a family member or a friend, this includes working out more regularly, making better food choices, as well as cutting down on smoking and drinking. These are are the typical yet oh-so-important things we know but choose to ignore. Participating more actively in social activities can also help with mood regulation, as well as to combat any lowered self-esteem.
As a parting note, having clarity in whatever we might be struggling with will almost always help with how we cope with it. Providing resources for medical and mental health professions can also be a very valuable helpline for those struggling to make sense of what they might be going through.