Fitness & Health

Terry Tay
Aug 17, 2015
3 min read

(Tapped up shoulder while on the Roman Rings during the recent 2015 Sea Games in Singapore) I cannot stress enough the difference between these two. Ever so often, people equate lifting heavy weights and being able to run their 2.4km >10minutes to being healthy. Here’s a simple comparison table to differentiate both:

Fitness (Quantitative) -Quality of being able to fulfill a particular role or task -Degree of adaptation of organism to its environment

Health (Qualitative)

-State of Mental/Physical well-being

-State of being free from illness/injury

As per above, fitness is skewed towards being more result oriented (E.g. squatting/benching 3times ones body weight). Whereas health is takes to concern one’s well-being. It is almost as if they’re too different models. Ideally, they both should concurrently run together. The question would then be, how do I practice this? Below are 3 simple and practice ways which I believe are achievable and more importantly in the long run, sustainable. When I first started training competitively, I found it difficult to balance to both especially in Singapore’s competitive environment as a student-athlete. It’s difficult to set aside time while having to juggle so many things at a time and I know how hard it is to fit everything onto your plate. The three big C’s

1. CONFIDENCE It is true that half the battle is won in the mind. Ever so often while working towards various goals we have doubtful thoughts, “Can I really do it?” “I don’t think I can”. Overtime, small negative thoughts (often cast aside), pile up in the back of our subconscious mind. It just takes a small spark to push us down that slippery slope which often results not just in low self-confidence, feeling burnt out, lethargic to even going back to a state where one was worse than they started off. Start the day off positively by affirming and encouraging yourself as you plan for the day ahead. That short 5-10minutes each morning goes a longgggg way!

2. COMMUNITY Surround yourself with people who want, and will help you to succeed. Ever had that awkward situation where you felt like you didn’t know how to tell your buddy that you simply A resilient community often involves people whom have similar visions, goals and focuses. Competition should and always be friendly and edifying. Everyone can identify when they feel comfortable and are able to be themselves in a various setting. Aim to have this in your various spheres one revolves/is involved around/in. Vulnerability when effectively utilized in a proper setting will allow one to word around their weaknesses and turn them into strong points. Also, transparency in a group/community setting is always an added bonus. Ever so often take a step back to review yourself to ensure that your attitude/ego is kept in check too! There’s no I in team yeah!

3. CONSISTENCY Last but not least, the most important of the three C’s. There are no such things as “good habits” just discipline. Keep a journal/diary to record your progress down. Throughout my years of training, I have noticed that often people’s impatience result in them not being able to reap the results they seek; not giving enough time for exercise plans to quantify into results. A big factor that affects either resistance/cardiovascular training to even nutrition is excuses. “I’m so tired”, “I’ll do it tomorrow”, “It’s just for today”: these are some common phrases which we all are guilty of using Practice makes perfect, stick to your plans you have set. This habit will take some time to nurture, but in a matter of time it would come to a point where one will not realize that its part of their daily routine.