When we learned that a fitness convention was to be held in Ascott BGC, we immediately looked for a way to participate. We have always wanted to check out the conference facilities in Ascott BGC, and what better occasion to do that than to take part in one that involves fitness?
We contacted the organizers of FitCon MNL 2017 (Dynamic Duo) and these wonderful people let us go there to try out or observe their activities.
FitCon was held on the 5th floor of the hotel, where the function rooms are located. Upon getting out of the lift, we were greeted by displays by merchants selling sportswear and equipment. After passing that area, there was a space the size of a classroom where some circuit training equipment and exercise mats were laid out. This was the activity area where classes were held.
On the other side of the hall way was a cocktail area where snacks and meals would be served. Next to that area were three function rooms where workshops were to be held. It was a medium size venue that suited this particular event well. Being an Ascott property, the furnishing and management of the venue exuded elegance.
FitCon MNL 2017 is said to be the first fitness convention held in the Philippines that target fitness professionals. The workshops and activities that they organized were for the education and training mostly of fitness professionals, but they also opened some of the activities to the general public. There were so many activities that we could not possibly attend all. So we went to just a few, but even so, we were overwhelmed by the massive amount of information that we got.
One of us attended a workshop called The Dark Side of Nutrition. The speaker was Ben Siong. He gave examples of several food myths. For example, he challenged the common beliefs that Egg yolk is full of cholesterol, so we should not eat many of them; margarine is better than butter for the heart; skimmed milk is healthier for us than full cream milk, and so on, and convinced us to take a new look on these matters. While we knew about some of these myths, we were grateful that he alerted us to the others.
In the activities area, we witnessed the use of a vibrating pad, called Power Plate, for various exercises, as well as in conjunction with other fitness gadgets such as one called trigger point foam roller. The latter is a round hollow cylinder that has foam on the outside and metal cylinder inside.  It is supposed to be used to de-stress muscles. We hope it will not put some masseuses out of work. As for the power plate, we do not know how effective it is in enhancing calorie burning during exercise, but may be they should build one for serving meals also, so that the calories in food are reduced before it gets into our mouth.
One of us was in her fifties and she was looking for workshops or activities that targeted her age group. She was saddened that some workshops for seniors got cancelled because of sickness of the instructor. 
Fortunately for us, we managed to find an instructor that also had expertise on fitness for seniors. Ms Peewee Sanchez, who is from the Philippines but is now based in Dubai, teaches yoga to yoga instructors and mobility for seniors. She had a class on mobility for seniors. She was able to call it off when we showed up. We ended up getting a private lesson from her on how to maintain mobility even as we age.
The 3-Day FitCon MNL 2017 was an eye-opening event for us non-professional. From what we can tell, it was a valuable opportunity for fitness professional to update their skills and knowledge so that they can serve their clients better. We look forward to more FitCon in Manila in the future, especially if they are held in the Fort!
