Trapeze Rec Club founder on building an urban wellness hub

After we speak about wellness, most individuals would usually affiliate it with weight-reduction plan and bodily well being. However wellness is greater than that — it’s not nearly going to the gymnasium and lifting weights, or taking on some strenuous excessive depth interval coaching (HIIT) lessons.

Wellness is a multi-dimensional idea that encompasses bodily, psychological, emotional, and social well being, and never simply the absence of illness.

Nonetheless, is reaching an optimum state of well-being even doable within the fast-paced metropolis of Singapore? The town-state is among the most overworked nations within the Asia Pacific area, with among the longest working hours on the earth. This leaves little time for people to spend on private wellness.

What makes this drawback worse is the shortage of built-in wellness services and products in Singapore. Most Singaporeans typically must steadiness a number of memberships at totally different studios to cater to their varied wellness wants, together with private coaching, restoration and psychological wellbeing remedy.

Looking for out holistic options to keep up your private wellbeing generally is a problem for a lot of, and it’s what prompted GJ Wee to launch Trapeze Group, a wellness-focused way of life firm, with an purpose to construct a “portfolio of well being and wellness ideas that would assist folks discover and preserve wellbeing in a playful, modern, and holistic manner”.

The primary of its ideas is Trapeze Rec. Membership (TRC), an area that really embodies the combination of wellness services and products.

Serving to Singaporeans discover steadiness of their lives

Launched in 2021, TRC is a four-storey health membership spanning 8,000 sq. foot that’s positioned in a pre-war shophouse at Tanjong Pagar. 

Previous to launching TRC, GJ — who can be the youngest little one of UOB CEO Wee Ee Cheong and grandchild of billionaire Wee Cho Yaw — labored as a marketing consultant for Boston Consulting Group for 2 years.

Issues took a flip when GJ was recognized with hypertension at a routine checkup. GJ’s hectic work schedule required in depth journey and lengthy working hours, which finally took a toll on the 29-year-old’s well being.

“I needed to both make a large way of life change or begin taking remedy. I used to be solely 25,” GJ advised A+ Journal. This led the entrepreneur to stop consulting a yr later to start out up TRC, and assist folks stay a life that prioritises wellness.

The identify of the model was impressed by GJ’s favorite music, The Trapeze Swinger by Iron and Wine — a music that speaks of life, love and loss.

The music got here on Spotify as I used to be mountaineering by means of a mountain in New Zealand making an attempt to provide you with names for the idea, and it resonated with me. Just like a trapeze act within the circus — which is all about steadiness and circulation — our ethos at TRC is about serving to folks discover their very own steadiness of their lives. 

– GJ Wee, founding father of Trapeze Group

Marrying “accessible” and “inaccessible” types of wellness

TRC affords 13 kinds of group lessons, starting from health, yoga and martial arts, along with private coaching. To make sure its members obtain the most effective options for his or her wellbeing, these group lessons are led by business veterans and professionals.

In the meantime, for these looking for restoration, the health studio boasts a complete suite of services and gear. These comprise a thermal suite with a conventional sauna, in addition to a chilly plunge, infrared sauna and compression remedy.

Along with these choices, TRC additionally offers personalised consultations and restoration companies, akin to Conventional Chinese language Drugs (TCM), stretch remedy, and psychological wellbeing consults.

After having fun with a great exercise or wellness session, members can unwind at TRC’s in-house cafe, the Canteen, the place they’ll take pleasure in nourishing meals, snacks, and drinks.

In keeping with GJ, the Canteen’s menu was curated not solely to nourish the physique, but additionally the thoughts. As an example, the cafe’s Ayurvedic smoothies characteristic elements that comprise adaptogens and superfoods akin to ashwagandha, reishi and bee pollen.

We’re marrying all of your “accessible” types of wellness like health, yoga, martial arts, with extra “inaccessible” types of wellness (in Singapore, anyway) like psychological wellbeing remedy. 

– GJ Wee, founding father of Trapeze Group

In essence, TRC is a spot to your holistic wellness wants and goals to champion health, relaxation, and restoration all in the identical house.

COVID-19 had a huge effect on the enterprise

When TRC was simply launched, it coincided with the peak of COVID-19, with Part 2 Heightened Alert coming into impact only a month after its opening.

This meant that a lot of the health studio’s lessons couldn’t happen, and none of its services might be used. “It was powerful, it was powerful on all of us collectively,” GJ admitted.

Nonetheless, GJ pushed by means of the powerful instances and rapidly pivoted the enterprise. The group began working on-line lessons, and positioned a heavy emphasis on takeaway and supply for the Canteen.

Whereas the launch wasn’t simple, it taught us to be nimble and extra importantly, humble — and that may be a studying I’ll all the time maintain with me. 

– GJ Wee, founding father of Trapeze Group

Along with the challenges introduced by the pandemic, GJ can be dealing with the hurdle of discovering and retaining the precise expertise. The entrepreneur mentioned that this situation has positively been exacerbated by COVID-19 and the “Nice Resignation”.

To beat this and promote group retention, TRC has applied programs and processes in place akin to elevated advantages, versatile working preparations (akin to four-day work weeks), performance-related incentives, and clear profession development pathways.

Reworking Singapore into an city wellness hub

It has been nearly two years since TRC opened its doorways, and the enterprise has since achieved a big variety of milestones.

For one, it has constructed a portfolio of profitable company partnerships and occasions that embrace the likes of Nike, Panerai, DBS Personal Financial institution, and Soho Home.

Trying forward, GJ plans to refine and develop TRC’s suite of wellness companies. This features a partnership with an built-in clinic that can carry physiotherapy, purposeful drugs, and different restoration companies to TRC.

“Finally, the purpose is to open extra areas in Singapore, after which in Asia Pacific,” shared GJ.

On the group stage, they’re at present engaged on launching one other wellness idea in 2024. As well as, Trapeze Group can be in talks with varied accommodations in Singapore to carry a couple of lodge with built-in wellness choices, past lodge gyms that present fundamental gear.

Sharing extra on this, GJ envisions group class schedules, private trainers, on-site TCM and purposeful drugs docs, and even common holistic wellness retreats at these accommodations.

In the end, by means of Trapeze Group, GJ hopes to remodel Singapore into an city wellness hub.

Featured Picture Credit score: Trapeze Rec. Membership