DESPITE the movement control order (MCO) by the government, there is no excuse to neglect your health and wellbeing. We talked to three athletes about how they keep fit and stay healthy in these challenging times.
You may have read the name Teoh Sue Ling in our pages before when she talked to us about smart wearables. She is a competitive swimmer, triathlete, runner and cyclist. She is also a personal fitness trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and FIT Malaysia, a Nike Running Master Trainer, a Run-Fit Specialist, and a Triathlon Coach certified by the International Triathlon Union (ITU).
She describes her typical fitness routine as one to six hours of outdoor training every day, with some indoor gym sessions as well. But, because of the nature of her sport, she spends most of her days outdoors, training other athletes and holding group sessions.
With the MCO, she has to scale back. “I have to resort to indoor training. I can still cycle and do strength training indoors, but definitely no swimming, as swimming pools are closed.”
She also supplements her training with swim specific land exercises and running drills which she can do at home. During the week, Teoh does three to four sessions of indoor cycling and two to three sessions of strength training and running.
It certainly helps that she has her training equipment at home. “I start my training in the morning, but I am limited to the equipment I have. I don’t have a treadmill, but I have a stationary bike, a set of weights and resistance bands,” said Teoh.
For most of us, Teoh’s fitness routine, even the scaled-down indoor MCO version, sounds like a lot, but that is what athletes have to do to stay in fit condition.
We then talked to actor, writer, producer, and director Ayez Shaukat Fonseka Farid, who is best known as the head coach and the man who started Malaysia Pro Wrestling (MyPW) in 2014. From the very beginning, he set his fitness level as an example to all of his students and the talents at MyPW. With that goal comes the added responsibility of staying in shape despite the MCO.
“My usual fitness routine is pretty hardcore,” said Ayez. “I do weight lifting five days a week, and on rest days, I do cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
“Being a pro wrestler means that I have to stay in shape and keep my endurance at all times, no off days.”
To keep his fitness level and to continue to be an example to his students, Ayez had to resort to some drastic changes.
“At the gym, I rely on dumbbells, barbells, and cable machines. However, at times like this, we have to be creative. I apply my knowledge of fitness to construct a solid programme that will help me maintain my muscle mass and stamina,” said Ayez.
His current routine looks like this: the first thing he does in the morning is an hour of shadow boxing and HIIT twice a week, while bumping up his calorie intake to keep his muscle mass.
He also shares his fitness programme on his Instagram profile (@ayezshaukatfonseka) with whomever is willing to pick up the challenge.
Ayez explains: “It is a full-body workout based on scientific principles to maintain what you have for intermediate lifters. And possibly stimulate muscle growth for newbies if the nutrition and sleep are on point.”
Ayez has always championed a balanced diet in addition to an active lifestyle. Just before the MCO, he took his passion further by launching Hypertofeed, a food service for those who want to be in shape.
“It is my answer to people who want to see results, be it to lose muscles or lose fat. Most people fail to reach their body goals because they don’t adhere to a strict nutrition protocol. I aim to change that.
“Through Hypertofeed, I take control of both their physical exercise programming and cook for them what they need to see results,” said Ayez. He claims that this is how Hollywood superstars get fast and guaranteed results by taking care of their fitness and monitoring their nutritional needs.
For open water swimmer and teacher, Angelia Ong, technology has helped keep her daily routine during the MCO.
“Most mornings, I am in the pool, training and teaching. I have yoga with my neighbours in the neighbourhood park on Monday mornings. I also do bodyweight, stretching, and lightweight training twice a week at home,” said Ong, who also teaches homeschooled children.
However, because of the MCO, going to the pool or the park is not an option. Thankfully, she has the equipment and gear at home to keep her going.
“I teach online now using Skype, Google Hangout, and Classroom. I also have my yoga classes online via Zoom. Fortunately, I can still connect to my students and teammates online,” Ong added. “We even have virtual get-togethers and workouts to maintain our social connection.”
In short, keeping fit is possible at home; there is no need to break the MCO to stay healthy.
