Xandra rocha- araneta
“It’s not about depriving oneself of favourite treats; it’s about being smart about it”
Fitness Enthusiast, Media Personality, 32 Weightlifting and Pilates
Real-life superwoman Xandra Rocha-Araneta has always been active, quite the athlete in her younger days engaged in multiple sports in school. “I played varsity football, touch rugby, and [junior varsity] volleyball. As I got older, I never had a proper workout regime but I was always active in some way, even just walking or jogging around the village.”
Her journey to fitness was not easy. This mum of two revealed how, after giving birth, she just fell off the bandwagon. “From 2015 to January 2019, I was pregnant and breastfeeding. I reached a point where I felt so weak and brittle, tired, and irritable. It felt like I didn’t own my body anymore,” says Xandra. Then her husband pushed her to start exercising again to be stronger and healthier. “I remember being so annoyed at the suggestion at first! My answer was ‘I’m so tired! I don’t have time to exercise!’ But I knew he was right, so I forced myself to go to the gym with him.”
Exercising three to five times a week with her personal trainers, Mike and Nica, w as how Xandra found herself again, regaining her confidence. “I simply love myself more as a person no w! I feel more confident and I love my body more because I r eally worked hard to reach my own body and fitness g oals.”
Also doing Pilates at OneLife Studio, she finds exercising a way of releasing stress, unwinding, and improving overall mental strength.
Diet has always been about finding a sustainabl e balance that suits her lifestyle. “It’s not about depriving oneself of favourite treats; it’s about being smart about it. When I can’t work out as intensively, I modify my food portions or eat less rice and more veggies; when I’m working out religiously, I can [and need t o] eat more to grow muscle.”
Working out in the midst of a busy schedule is, for Xandra, non-negotiable. “Keeping my schedule no matter what trains my mind to be disciplined and not slack,” she says.
Her goals for the foreseeable future includes improving her pull-ups reps by doing 10 in a row, and being consistent in everything she does. For her, all the ups and downs to reach her goals and discover different skills along the way is all part of the journey.