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Month: April 2022

Categories
Lifestyle

New thrills and great deals for the whole family

Discover Sailing Asia is just one of numerous merchants offering great deals to HomeTeamNS members.

From craft and music sessions with your child, to delectable dining treats and new adventures at sea, plenty of exciting new opportunities await HomeTeamNS members.

TEXT AND PHOTOS: HOMETEAMNS

Here at HomeTeamNS, we aim to foster camaraderie and a sense of community among members and the Home Team NSmen community.

Beyond that, it’s also host to great deals that offer opportunities for you and your loved ones to bond and enjoy new experiences. Don’t miss these great deals at HomeTeamNS clubhouses and with our merchant partners.

HOMETEAMNS-JOM BALESTIER CLUBHOUSE

If you’re looking to bond with your little ones, the clubhouse has some interesting options for family fun. To redeem these promotions, simply just flash your HomeTeamNS Digital Membership Card found in the HomeTeamNS Mobile App.

Parent-accompanied junior group class for toddlers at Nozumi Musictopia

Introduce your toddler to the joys of music and freedom of movement at this parent-accompanied Junior Group Class for toddlers (aged 12-14 months).

The first 10 signups get a free goody bag worth S$50 (terms and conditions apply). All signups enjoy a 15-per-cent discount during the promotion period (May and June 2022). Thereafter, HomeTeamNS members get a 15-per-cent discount and SAFRA members enjoy a 10-per-cent discount.

Parent-child Craft Out at SmartArtz Studio

If you’re looking to up your craft game, SmartArtz Studio has an introductory offer for first-timers. HomeTeamNS members pay S$32 per child or S$42 per parent and child pair for a Craft Out session. Non-members pay S$35 per child or S$42 per parent and child pair.

To redeem, flash this promo and present your HomeTeamNS Digital Membership Card when you sign up via WhatsApp to SmartArtz Studio. Children must be between the ages of three and 12 and the promotion is valid till the end of April.

Parent-child Bake Out at Genius R Us

What better way to bond than by baking a delectable treat with your loved ones? Genius R Us has an introductory offer for first-timers. HomeTeamNS members pay S$35 per child or S$50 per parent and child pair. Non-members pay S$38 per child or S$53 per parent and child pair. 

To redeem, flash this promo and present your HomeTeamNS Digital Membership Card when you sign up via WhatsApp to Genius R Us. Children must be between the ages of three and 12 and the promotion is valid till the end of April.

HOMETEAMNS KHATIB CLUBHOUSE

Looking for some great dining deals or an enriching learning space for your child at HomeTeamNS Khatib? Simply flash your HomeTeamNS Digital Membership Card available in the HomeTeamNS Mobile App to redeem these offers.

Orchid Live Seafood

This eatery serves fresh seafood delights including garlic steamed bamboo clams, southern Australian lobsters and braised live South African abalone. HomeTeamNS members enjoy 10-per-cent off their total bill.

Fuji Izakaya Bar

Tuck into a variety of mouth-watering Japanese treats from this eatery’s extensive menu. Options include seafood, grills, ramen and rice bowls. HomeTeamNS members enjoy 10-per-cent off their total bill.

Safari House Pre-school

This pre-school offers progressive learning programmes that help and encourage your child to explore the world around them, while their sense of curiosity is nurtured. HomeTeamNS members enjoy 20% discount off enrichment classes for enrolled childcare students. 

ISLANDWIDE MEMBERS’ DEALS

Still craving for more deals and treats? There’s more in store for you, from sporty apparels to a sailing adventure! Check out the following exclusive membership deals and promo codes on our new and improved HomeTeamNS Mobile App.

Foodpanda

Known for delivering the food and groceries you love across Singapore, Foodpanda is offering new customers an S$8 discount off S$15 from their first order. This promotion is valid till 30 June 2022.

New and existing customers also get to enjoy S$2 off a S$30 purchase in April and get an additional discount if you opt to pick up your own order. This offer is valid till 30 April 2022.

Getgo

Looking to rent a set of wheels? Carsharing service, Getgo, has over 1,100 locations across Singapore. HomeTeamNS members can enjoy 50-per-cent off their first drive. This offer is capped at S$10 and limited to the first 5,000 redemptions. This promotion is valid till August 2022. 

Discover Sailing Asia

Get a taste for nautical adventures by paying just S$45 for a two-hour sailing teaser session. Book your slots by 31 May to enjoy sailing until 11 September 2022. 

Kydra

Need a new set of workout fits for your sporty needs? This activewear brand sells a wide variety of women’s and men’s clothing, and is offering members a 15-per-cent discount off all items listed here. The promotion is valid till 30 April 2022.

Download the new and improved HomeTeamNS Mobile App for the latest promotions and membership perks! 

Categories
Shape Up

Couple workouts for every level of fitness

Exercising with a partner offers several benefits, like improving the consistency of your overall fitness journey.

Couples who train together stay together! In Part 2 of our couple workouts series, we explore four exercises that can get you moving with your partner whether you are both beginners or workout veterans.

TEXT: NICHOLAS JACOB

PHOTOS: MEDIACORP STUDIO 3

Last month, Fitness Workz trainers Azmirah Azman and Aidid Haidil shared how couple workouts can help keep you aligned towards a common goal and facilitate your common fitness goals over the long term, regardless of your level of fitness.

Whether it’s in the gym or at the fitness corner, exercising as a couple carries a multitude of benefits, from improving the consistency of your overall fitness journey to reinforcing the bonds and confidence levels shared by both individuals.

As you each become fitter and more knowledgeable, these couple workouts get increasingly productive as you discover ways to play to each other’s strengths and improve on weaknesses.

In this story, we explore how you and your companion can add greater depth to conventional exercises, activating key muscle groups in novel ways, and keeping your training plan fresh and exciting through a series of four partner exercises.

PLACING A TWIST ON THE HUMBLE SIT-UP

Muscle groups targeted and benefits: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques.

Sit-ups are a staple in any athlete’s repertoire of exercises. Done correctly, it helps stimulate your core abdominal muscles to build strength and develop that highly sought-after muscle tone (don’t forget to pair with a fat burning diet so that 6-pack can really shine!).

In addition to building core strength, sit-ups are a great way to build athletic performance, improve posture, and enhance balance and stability.

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  1. Basic: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet anchored. Tuck your chin into your chest to lengthen the back of your neck. Cup your ears or cross your arms with your hands on opposite shoulders.
  2. Exhale as you lift your upper body up toward your thighs. Inhale as you slowly lower yourself back down to the floor.
  3. Intermediate: Try back-to-back sit-ups, introducing a twist as you lift your upper body, clapping your partner’s hand on alternating sides with every rep.
  4. Advanced: To crank up the intensity, pass a medicine ball between yourselves. This can add some serious additional resistance so you really feel the burn!

MIXING IT UP WITH CRUNCHES

Muscle groups targeted and benefits:  Forearm muscles, wrist flexors, lats, upper back (Monkey bar Crunches), and Abdominal muscles, obliques, hip flexors (Crunches).

Monkey bar crunches are a core muscle exercise with a greater range of movement than sit-ups. They help build forearm and upper body strength for that quintessential athlete’s V-shaped physique. This exercise helps to build greater core strength while improving balance and flexibility.

Working with a partner is key to gradually ramping up the intensity. A partner can assist you by gently holding your legs to support the movements as your arms and abdominal muscles acclimatise to your body weight and the range of movement.

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  1. Start monkey bar crunches by hanging on a pull-up bar. As you inhale, engage your core muscles.
  2. Lift knees across your body to your left until thighs are perpendicular to chest. Lower your legs, then repeat the movement on the right.
  3. You and your partner can also perform crunches in tandem. Sit on the floor facing to one side and lean back at 45 degrees. Raise and hold both feet slightly above the ground.
  4. Raise your knees towards your chest and lower on the opposite side. Level up by slowing your crunches or trying to gradually weave your legs higher and higher over your partner’s. Or, have a friendly competition to see who can perform more reps.

SIDESTEPPING FOR AGILITY USING LATERAL SHUFFLE THROWS

Muscle groups targeted and benefits: Glutes, quads, inner and outer thigh, shoulder muscles, triceps and latissimus dorsi.

Lateral movements are key to building agility. They improve your ability to make swift movements in a controlled manner, maintaining balance in every movement.

The lateral shuffle throw activates smaller muscle groups outside the usual dominant muscle groups. It helps engage muscles holistically, evening out muscular imbalances and stabilising your hips. This is also a really fun way of keeping workouts fresh and stimulating.

Remember to engage your core throughout the exercise and keep your chest lifted. This will help you maintain proper form. Focus on making the full range of movement while ensuring the correct muscle groups are engaged at every stage of the exercise.

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  1. Basic: Stand with your feet a hip’s width apart. Sink into a deep knee bend. Bring both hands in front of the chest in a guard position holding the ball.
  2. Move your right foot to the right and follow through with your left foot. Shuffle four times to the right. Throw the ball to your partner then move left. Repeat the same moves, moving to the left this time.
  3. Intermediate: Turn this into a game by speeding up or adding unpredictability into the exercise. This helps you to train both mind and body while having heaps of fun.
  4. Advanced: Try performing the entire exercise with squats ranging from mid-to-low height. Challenge your partner to see just how low you both can go!

BUILD THOSE PECS WITH PARTNER PLANKS

Muscle group target and benefits: Pectoral muscles (chest), deltoids (shoulders), triceps, abdominals, serratus anterior (wings).

Planks are a mainstay in many home workouts. The plank pose is an exercise in mindfulness – engaging many of the major muscle groups of the body in a single pose and challenging your mind to endure the burn of the fixed position for as long as you can possibly go. Be sure to keep your body in a straight line, keeping your abdominal muscles tight throughout the exercise.

Planking with a partner encourages you to push harder. You can also check that each is maintaining proper form to get the most out of the exercise. Who better to push you to greater heights than a highly-competitive workout buddy?

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  1. Basic: Begin in a kneeling position. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and pitch forward so your hands, forearms and elbows are on the floor. Extend your legs behind you with toes tucked under to press into the plank.
  2. Intermediate: Start in a standard plank position. Fully extend one arm at a time so you are in a push-up plank position.
  3. Tap your partner’s hand while in a push up position. Revert to a standard plank position and repeat.
  4. Advanced: For a true challenge, try performing an overlap plank with your partner –one person planks directly on top of their partner who’s already in a plank position. Then, perform a push up at the same time.

Get your engines moving with your workout partner! Try out these workouts together over at our Fitness Workz gyms and spice it up with the equipment available. Book your preferred gym outlet and timing all in one place with our new and improved HomeTeamNS Mobile App now!

Categories
In The Force

A man in blue with a green agenda

SC2 Sean Sy Yeo has been passionate about protecting the environment since his childhood.

SC2 Sean Sy Yeo encourages everyone to do their part for sustainability and environmental causes.

TEXT: SPF / PHOTO: SPF

Sustainability is a global concern that impacts our collective future. As PUB World Water Day and Earth Hour took place in March, the Singapore Police Force’s SC2 Sean Sy Yeo did his part to contribute to the environmental cause.

Sean currently serves as a Community Engagement officer with the Toa Payoh Neighbourhood Police Centre. While his work is demanding, he still finds the time to take care of his vegetable garden and collect rainwater to reuse it for watering plants and washing clothes.  

A MINDSET CULTIVATED FROM AN EARLY AGE

As a child, Sean preferred visiting museums and the zoo – over playing games – so he could learn more about animals. These institutions often feature exhibits about the threats many creatures face, such as poaching and environmental changes that have led to the extinction of several species.

He also learnt that human actions — both direct and indirect — impact other aspects of the ecosystem. For example, deforestation destroys animal habitats (directly) and global warming caused by the release of greenhouse gases leads to environmental changes such as rising sea levels (indirectly). This inspired him to try to prevent the extinction of more species by doing his part to care of the environment.

Sean believes that it takes many generations to reverse the damage inflicted on our planet. His solution to the growing problem? That we educate our young about environmental protection so that they can grow up to become responsible global citizens.

CONTINUING THE FIGHT FOR A GOOD CAUSE

He fondly recalls learning about environmental issues during regular school assembly talks and various learning journeys when he was in primary school. Besides visiting the zoo, he also went to Bishan Park to pick up litter and learn more about the environment through activities hosted by the park (Bishan Park has been adopted by his school, Rosyth School).

When he was a student at St Joseph’s Institution during his secondary school years, Sean was elected by his class to be a Green Ambassador due to his keen interest in sustainability.
He used this position effectively and responsibly to encourage his schoolmates to adopt sustainable practices, such as recycling and reducing wastage of resources like electricity, paper and water.

Sean believes that everyone can and should do their part to help the environment, regardless of how small the act seems. Something as basic as sorting our rubbish and properly disposing in recycling bins can lead to the right step towards sustainability.

Find out how DAC (NS) Mulyadi Ahmad is doing his part for the environment and how organisations like HomeTeamNS are adopting green practices.

Categories
Club Buzz

The greening of HomeTeamNS clubhouses

The Khatib Clubhouse's ECO-filtration system for its swimming pools can reduce the amount of water needed for pool maintenance by up to 50 per cent, in addition to reducing energy use.

From reducing paper usage to relying on solar power to offset energy consumption, HomeTeamNS clubhouses are showing their support for the environment by going green.

TEXT: MELODY TAN

IMAGES: HOMETEAMNS

Sustainability is more than a buzzword – it’s a way of life, one that’s designed to help combat climate change and preserve the planet for future generations.

Just as more Singaporeans are incorporating green habits into their daily lives, HomeTeamNS clubhouses are also stepping up sustainability efforts.

HomeTeamNS Clubhouses and various facilities including Adventure HQ, T-Play, TactSim and Laser Quest have implemented numerous green practices. These include relying on technology – like digitising all documents to reduce paper use.

Guests are also encouraged to bring their own water bottles as paper and plastic cups are not provided for water, while the air-conditioning, lights and electrical appliances are set on timers and switched on during operating hours.

The new HomeTeamNS Khatib and Bedok Reservoir Clubhouses take things several steps further. As Khatib Clubhouse was completed in 2020 and Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse is set to be ready this year, both buildings were designed with sustainability in mind from the start.

THE FIRST OF ITS KIND: KHATIB CLUBHOUSE

The Khatib Clubhouse, which has been awarded the Green Mark Platinum certification by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA), is ground-breaking in several ways.

Besides being purpose-built to fulfil the needs of Home Team National Servicemen, the 21,000 sqm clubhouse is also the first of its kind in Singapore to have an ECO-filtration system for its swimming pools. The system uses a bio-film to sanitise the pool water through the process of photocatalytic oxidisation – so there’s no need for chemicals like chlorine. The system itself has a lifetime usage that is double that of conventional decontamination methods, and can reduce up to 50 per cent of the water used for pool maintenance, in addition to reducing energy use.

SMART WAYS TO STAY COOL

To reduce reliance on air-conditioning, Adventure HQ's facade was opened up fully to the surrounding greenery, helping to keep it breezy and airy.

Khatib Clubhouse was also designed by DP Architects in collaboration with architectural engineering firm WSP to feature ample natural ventilation, via high ceilings and open-sided corridors. To avoid the building heating up under the glare of the morning and evening sun, it was orientated in a north-south direction and has a large rooftop garden – ideal for social events, while providing shade to the open spaces below.

Air-conditioning was kept to a minimum in the four-storey Adventure HQ, which is also Singapore’s largest multi-installation indoor hub. Instead, the façade is opened up fully to the surrounding greenery, keeping it breezy and airy.

Elsewhere indoors, lights are linked to timers and motion sensors so that they can remain off when there is less traffic. A smart air-conditioning system enables less energy to be used when cooling an empty room. When the room begins to heat up with more people, the system is able to recalibrate and cool things down again.

SEEING GREEN EVERYWHERE

An automated irrigation system, augmented with rainwater harvesting, helps to maintain the diverse plantlife at Khatib Clubhouse, which includes a large rooftop garden. It is controlled via a usage and rainfall monitoring system which reduces the maount of water used.

Even the location of Khatib Clubhouse emphasises greenery, with a 10 metre-wide central thoroughfare leading from the surrounding Yishun Park @ N8 into the main lobby. Lower Seletar Reservoir Park is just across the road, but plant-lovers won’t have to go far to find landscaping designed around the creation of different habitats and biodiversity – such as the Fern Forest, the sensory garden at the landscaped corridor and the arid garden with drought-tolerant species on the rooftop.

Maintenance for all these plants is not an issue. The automated irrigation, augmented with rainwater harvesting, is controlled via a usage and rainfall monitoring system. This helps ensure that keeping Khatib Clubhouse green doesn’t require a compromise on resource consumption.

TECHNOLOGY POWERING A GREENER FUTURE

Set to be completed in 2022, the Bedok Reservoir clubhouse will also feature eco-friendly systems for greater efficiency and reduced maintenance, similar to Khatib Clubhouse, while expanding upon the latter’s green credentials through the use of technology and sustainable design. More details on Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse’s sustainability features will be shared in due course.

By making sustainability a priority from the start, these HomeTeamNS clubhouses not only provide comfortable spaces for members to connect, relax and celebrate – they also do their part for the future by contributing towards a greener Singapore.

You and your family members can take small steps that make a big difference to the environment, here’s how.

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