Vite GYM’s 8-Minute full-body workout
If you are one of those travellers who needs to steal away from a hectic schedule for some moments of stress-releasing workout, you will love the Vite GYM located on the 17th floor of the Palais de Chine. Eight minutes on its ROM is the equivalent of 45 minutes of lap swimming or aerobic exercises. ROM, which Palais de Chine has exclusively in Taiwan, is the means to a quick and efficient workout.
Aesthetic Wonder. Speedy Results.
“Vite” is French for fast, quickly, soon. Mr. Nelson Chang, Inn Keeper of the Palais de Chine, is privy to the dilemma of his guests: too much to do, too little time. There must be a way to fit in some exercise time, though, and the answer is Vite GYM. The gym may look tiny, but it is designed to provide efficient workouts and speedy results.
How does Mr. Chang—who holds so many job titles, who is always multi-tasking and constantly on the go—manage to stay so fit, so energetic? He cannot wait to share the big secret: eight minutes a day on the ROM. He owns the same piece of state-of-the-art equipment at home.
ROM (Range of Motion) is designed and manufactured in the States by Quick Gym. It looks suspiciously like a Transformer at first glance. The pedals call to mind a bicycle. The recumbent seat and the oar-like handlebars, on the other hand, remind us of a canoe. The streamlined design is what makes it so attractive to the beholder.
Body-Shaping in Eight Minutes a Day
ROM works all the muscle groups: four minutes for upper body and four for lower body. The front part of the machine, designed to function like a rowing machine, targets the upper body. Guests are asked to grasp the handlebars and “row” at a comfortable pace. The lifting and lowering motions serve to condition all the arm muscles.
ROM also does wonders for the back. It works the trapezius muscles and tightens the abdominal muscles. The result is improved posture, especially for those who have to sit for long hours at the desks. Female guests who worry about flabby underarms should definitely give the ROM a try: their biceps will soon be toned and defined.
The other half of the equipment, built like an upgraded Stepmaster, targets the lower body—the buttocks, the thighs, and the calves. ROM is indispensable in tightening and lifting the gluteus, especially the gluteus maximus.
Since the ROM offers a total body workout, it naturally benefits the cardiovascular and the respiratory systems. ROM also helps to burn fat and lengthen muscles. It is ideal for those who want to lose a few pounds and for those who want to do something healthy for themselves because they are caught in an endless round of social engagements.
A Gym with a View
Besides the US-made ROM, the Vite GYM also provides its guests with a multi-functional body-building machine, an elliptical, a treadmill, and a stationary bike, all of which are manufactured by Italy’s Technogym. The elliptical, though hard on the leg and the buttocks muscles, is definitely gentle on the joints. The treadmill, elevated just twenty centimeters off the ground, is perfect for guests who enjoy working-out indoors. For those who are caught up in the biking fever currently sweeping over Taiwan, the ergonomically designed stationary bike is a quick fix. The lucky guest can ride and sweat it off from a vantage point high up on the seventeenth floor. The entire west side of Taipei is underfoot. What more could one ask for?
A Word of Advice
ROM is a state-of-the-art aerobic equipment imported from the United States of America, which Palais de Chine furnished with exclusive rights in Taiwan for its Vite GYM. Complimentary demonstrations are available. Guests are reminded to warm up properly before any exercise and to please ask to have the equipment adjusted according to their weight and height. Senior guests, guests with prior knee injuries, and guests who are not in the habit of exercising are kindly requested to refrain from using the ROM.