SWEAT IT OUT
Leading and sustaining an active lifestyle is never a walk in the park. STEPHENIE GEE talks to four fitness pros who divulge the roots of their active lifestyle and offer top tips to get you – and keep you – in the mindset of working out
THE DAYS OF men telling women what we can and cannot do with our bodies have been consigned to the dustbin of history. But now comes a time when social media dictates what’s in and what’s out, what’s beautiful and what’s not, and cultivating a relationship with one’s self and body has never been a more challenging endeavour. Just take a scroll through Instagram – flawless complexions, girls with perfect summer abs pulling off skimpy crop tops, Kardashian- esque hourglass figures – and it’s enough to give anyone a complex.
“We are relentlessly exposed to unrealistic body images that are being shown in the context of promoting ‘health’, which is incredibly misleading and dangerous,” says The Gym coach and Lululemon Hong Kong ambassador Jen Mackay. “Everything on social media is presented to us as genuine and perfect, but more often than not we are being shown an edited snapshot out of context. Also, for so long society has depicted being skinny as the ultimate beauty standard for women, with being strong or not stick-thin as an unfeminine and unattractive aesthetic. Fortunately, I’m starting to see a shift in this outlook with women beginning to recognise the value and power of being strong.”
Feeling empowered comes from the ability to be the best and healthiest version of ourselves. It comes from confidence, whether it’s receiving some hard-earned kudos from your excessively callous and aloof supervisor or simply a good hair day. Regardless, empowerment comes from within, and according to Mackay, there’s no better way than via training. “Exercising is without a doubt one of the best ways to be empowered. Progress is measurable and when you train consistently, you can see and feel how you improve. There’s no one else doing the work for you so you know you’re in full control of your progress and that is incredibly empowering. You’re showing up for yourself and respecting your body,” she says.
It’s easy to say for someone with toned arms, defined abs and lean legs, but rest assured these are not empty words. Trixie Velez, founder of award-winning Pilates and fitness studio Defin8 Fitness, is here too to vouch for it. “I started training at a very early age because someone called me fat, and exercise has definitely helped me gain confidence and strength both physically and mentally,” she says. “I almost can’t remember the time before I began exercising, but I can tell you the difference when I stop (I paused for one or two weeks during the pandemic). I became really sluggish, less positive and demotivated. Training is now such a big part of my life that when I stop, I feel like a completely different person. The physical aspect won’t change right away (maybe you’ll feel a little weaker when you start training again), but you see the change in your mental well-being right away. Training gives me a clear mind and headspace, and the emotional stability to deal with the daily stresses of life in a more positive way.”
The beneficial impact that an active lifestyle has on mental health is no deeply hidden secret, and as a self-proclaimed “painfully shy introvert” (“believe or not”) to Nike Master Trainer, fashionable fitfluencer and #legend100 member with over 41.5K followers on Instagram, Utah Lee is one who knows. “Developing your physical strength helps to also discover your inner strength,” she tells me via email. “Working out trains your physical and mental health, and when you’re stronger, both physically and mentally, it helps to boost your self-esteem.”
In fact, for wellness studio XYZ by The Art of XYZ founder Belinda Koo, it was perhaps the mental growth that truly transformed her. “I originally thought that the more I spun and weight-lifted, the stronger I would become and the more I could do. However, when I started doing more, I also needed more, and it was a downward spiral where I started comparing myself to men around me and ruining relationships with them.