As always, be assured that enhanced precautionary measures are in place across our attractions, retail, F&B and service outlets for your health and safety. Don't forget to observe good hygiene measures during your time at Changi. Stay safe!
As we welcome the new year, I’m pretty sure keeping fit and staying in shape is part of many of our new year’s resolutions. With busy work schedules and the lure of procrastination, finding time to hit the gym or engaging in a high impact workout may seem futile.
Thankfully, there are lots of enjoyable activities we can do outside of the gym. Here are some activities that you can do to burn calories while you shop and have fun at Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel), and best of all – tip the scales in your favour.
1. Warm up and delight your senses on the trails at the Shiseido Forest Valley
Take the steps up five levels at the Shiseido Forest Valley to keep your heart pumping. A level up from walking, this one’s going to let you sweat it out. Carry a water bottle with you so you stay hydrated.
Once you’ve done your stretches to warm up the glutes and core muscles, go for a gentle hike up the resplendent Shiseido Forest Valley from Level 1 to the Canopy Park on Level 5 and enjoy the stunning greenery surrounding it. You can embark on two different cobblestoned walking trails on the eastern and western ends of the valley, featuring cascading waterfalls on the eastern trail and mist clouds to enhance your trek in the western trail. The soothing music and the signature scent of SHISEIDO Ultimune will truly delight and refresh your senses.
Unless you’re competing with your buddies, hike up the five levels at your own pace and cater for half an hour for each trail to take in the gorgeous view and snap some photos. Perhaps a handy selfie stick or monopod will help. Wear comfortable shoes – this is just the first of many other activities you can enjoy in Jewel, so gear up well.
And if you want to take a breather, there are benches for you to take a seat and rest and several exit points to the retail corridors along the way. Persevere, and you will be treated with a bird’s eye view of the instagrammable HSBC Rain Vortex at the top of the Shiseido Forest Valley.
Skytrain that runs through Jewel Changi Airport – remember to snap a photo if you manage to catch this during your hike at the Shiseido Forest Valley.
Pro-tip: The Skytrain connecting Changi Airport’s Terminals 2 and 3 travels through the elevated tracks across the Shiseido Forest Valley and makes its appearance every few minutes. Capture it as it moves across to add movement to your pic.
2. Clock your steps at the Canopy Park and Mastercard® Canopy Bridge
Did you know that the distance for a walk along Jewel’s Canopy Park is about 400m for a full round, similar to the length of one round of a stadium’s running track? In addition, the whole area spans a size of 14,000sqm, equivalent to 11 Olympic-sized swimming pools! So, you can be sure to clock your step count with ease and hit your daily target in no time at Canopy Park with the various play attractions such as Sky Nets, mazes, Discovery Slides and gardens. It’s also one of the fun places to go to in Singapore and the best Jewel activities many kids will vouch for!
Bask in the beauty of the flora at the Canopy Walk when you visit Jewel. What better way to burn calories indoors than to be amidst gorgeous Mother Nature, that too in the shade?
Take a brisk walk or simply stroll along the meandering pathway at the Canopy Park lined with luscious foliage. Explore the Topiary Walk and be greeted by large colourful topiaries featuring cute animal friends such as orangutans (apes native to rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia), peacocks, crocodiles and elephants, and discover the seasonal floral displays at the Petal Garden.
Step into the Mirror Maze and navigate your way to the end of the maze – we promise a fun time at this interesting Jewel activity!
Hop and skip while figuring your way through the Hedge Maze. Climb up the circular watchtower at the endpoint for a good lookout of the maze’s labyrinth of passages lined with neatly trimmed trees (more than 500 Ficus benjamina and Juniperus erectus trees). If you are not claustrophobic, grab the foam noodle stick and step into the Mirror Maze. The kaleidoscope maze transports you to a world of illusion to test your navigation skills as you wander around and work out those legs through the infinite reflections. With so much fun and excitement, this Jewel activity is not only perfect for kids but for couples too. Have we not already added this to our list of date ideas at Changi Airport?
Have fun while clocking your steps and slide down the Discovery Slides, one of the most entertaining activities here at Jewel.
Who says slides are only for kids? Whizz down the Discovery Slides made up of open and tube slides with varying heights and thrill factors. Or climb up the steep 6.5m-high viewing platform atop the slides to make your body work that bit harder.
To top off the thrill, stroll through the 50m-long Mastercard@ Canopy Bridge, which offers a breathtaking vantage point of Jewel’s interior under its glass dome. Suspended 23m above ground, look down, and you will be able to see the ground level of Jewel, as some portions of the bridge have a transparent glass surface. With the bridge offering the best views of Jewel, don’t forget to take some photos to capture the 360-degree unobstructed view of the Shiseido Forest Valley and the HSBC Rain Vortex while you walk.
Pro-tip: Scream to your hearts’ content and wash away your worries at the Canopy Bridge, a great way to relieve your stress. No one will hear you as your screams will be drowned by the sounds of the waterfall.
3. Enjoy the thrill and get a workout on the Walking Net and Bouncing Net at the Canopy Park
The experience of being on the Walking and Bouncing Nets in Jewel’s Canopy Park is one-of-a-kind not to be found anywhere else.
You must not miss the experience of being on the pair of Sky Nets – Walking and Bouncing Nets - at the Canopy Park. A very sturdy 50m-long Walking Net (it can hold 1,000 people at any one time) separates you and other shoppers and visitors on Level 1 by 25m – yes, that’s right, you will be walking on nets suspended 25m above Level 1 of Jewel. You might miss a few heartbeats while you take your first steps on the Walking Net, or your knees may go soft when you look down at the deep void. Find your footing and balance as you walk on it – you should get the hang of it in a short while. But best of all, you’ll find yourself sweating buckets (from the workout and maybe thrill) and not to mention the core muscles you are building up). Calculate the calories burned too, and why not compare your results when you have a go at the bouncing nets?
Jump as high as you can on the Bouncing Nets, and you will feel like you are able to reach the sky as you will be close to Jewel’s glass dome ceiling. Burn calories while at it – exercising can be fun, indeed!
For those who like trampolines and jumping, go for the more colourful (blue, yellow and green) Bouncing Nets. You can certainly burn those calories a lot faster than walking as you leap and bounce throughout the 250m-stretch of nets. The highest point is 8m above the Canopy Park, and you will almost feel like you’re jumping on clouds.
Pro-tip: For safety reasons, you will not be able to bring any cameras or phones with you for that selfie moment while on the nets. Just enjoy your time and moments on the nets since it is a unique attraction. Don’t forget to clock your activity on your exercise trackers and calculate the calories burnt – a smartwatch will do the trick.
4. Go for a quick spin at the Amazing Runway station in Changi Experience Studio
Race across Changi’s runways at the Changi Experience Studios. You’ll burn more calories when you work your legs on the stationary bikes – the best alternative if walking is simply too boring for you.
Compete against other visitors or your buddies at the Amazing Runway station in Changi Experience Studio at Jewel, Level 4 – a space for you to experience the behind-the-scenes of operating Changi Airport through immersive activities. The Amazing Runway game is premised on the historic jetliner-versus-car race on Changi’s runway in 2009. A multiplayer game that can fit up to 10 guests at one go, you will ride on stationary bikes and race in two groups, with five linked to a plane and the other five to a racing car. ‘Cyclists’ on the opposing teams ‘race’ down the 4km-long racetrack on stationary bikes as they compete with one another.
Pro-tip: This game is all about teamwork, as the points are aggregated by the team. Cheer loudly, encourage each other and lead your team to victory!
At the Changi Experience Studio, play a game where you pick up trolleys across Changi’s terminals and lock in a high score within the stipulated time.
You can experience what it takes to be a trolley retriever at the airport too within Changi Experience Studio. In this game, you will be required to manoeuvre and pick-up the trolleys along the way, as shown on a screen, within a time period. Play is endless, so you can keep playing to outdo yourself or others.
5. Rejuvenate with a refreshing shower and continue to explore the shopping and dining options in Jewel
With all those calories burned, pamper yourself with a luxury shower at the Changi Lounge.
After you’re done burning those calories, give your body some time to cool down before you head to Changi Lounge at Level 1, where you can rejuvenate with a refreshing shower for half an hour at just S$17 (excluding GST). Towels and toiletries are provided, making it convenient and hassle-free for customers. Apart from shower facilities, Changi Lounge has nap pods if you need to take a quick shut eye, a perfect way to refresh yourself before exploring the rest of Jewel.
If you have more time and want to burn even more calories, you can venture out of Jewel and take a walk in Changi Airport’s Terminals 1, 2 and 3. You can also choose to move between terminals by clocking your steps; they are all linked via Skytrain services.
In addition to all the activities in Jewel and the airport’s terminals, what makes Changi a joy to shop, dine and exercise are the beautiful artworks. These include the big red and white Daisy and Floral Inspirations that resemble a cluster of larger-than-life seed pods in T3, Kinetic Rain in T1 as well as various indoor horticulture displays along the way for your photo snaps. Double your walking distance by covering both departure and arrival halls in all three terminals.
Pro-tip (for serious calorie-burners): Venture beyond Terminal 2 to Changi Jurassic Mile, a 2.5km-long jogging-cum-cycling track littered with giant-sized dinosaurs and flora from the pre-historic era. You can choose to either walk the entire length or cycle.
This is a perfect excuse for you to work out in Jewel and Changi Airport while still having fun. Time to stick to our new year resolutions and keep fit with this guide!
For more updates on Changi Airport, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube. You can also sign up for a Changi Account and have the latest news and articles delivered right to your inbox.