Don’t know about yours, but my entire neighbourhood became joggers in 2020. Everyone was looking for an outlet—a safe, sweat-breaking activity to release all that pent-up energy and anxiety or to ward off claustrophobia, cabin fever and the chaos of being trapped at home.
But what was once a need to escape has evolved into the deep desire to elevate. Significant moves are being made not just physically but mentally, emotionally and metabolically, with many investing more time and effort into transforming themselves—and the active self-care needed to take things to the next level. This burgeoning demand has led to an influx of freshly minted fitness and trendy wellness programmes across the city. It has also shone a fresh light on established, under-the-radar workouts that have been upgrading lives and helping individuals achieve their health goals for decades.
Your body, your gym
Mention the words ‘bodyweight exercises’ and flashbacks to pre-gym workouts come to mind—like basic military training or ‘beautiful strength’ to the Spartans, and suddenly everyone is hyped. The impetus for this fuss-free, home-friendly workout spiked during lockdown, what with the only equipment needed being your own body weight, gravity and well, lots (and lots) of self-motivation. As opposed to training with machines or dumb-bells, body resistance exercises engage specific muscles at a time, emulating a natural, controlled course of movement that not only improves muscle endurance and builds a lean, athletic physique, but also hones bona fide human power—versus bulk—while improving joint mobility from a sports medicine perspective. A personal trainer at Level, Kenneth Seow, explains: “Each exercise has its regression and progression which allows for anyone to do it just about anywhere. And everyone who attends class has their own goal—it can range from something as simple as improving their push-ups to members who are already strong and want to muscle up but don’t understand why they aren’t able to achieve it. I then help them with their technique and body awareness as it’s not just all about brute strength.”
