Work it Out!
Some members of the CATCH team exercised every day for a whole school week to work out how an active lifestyle can fit in our busy daily lives. Find out how it went down.
Story by: Sarah Lye | Photos by: Priya Ganesan
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommends just 150 minutes of exercise weekly, but nowadays, busy youths fall short. The CATCH team is no different. We picked various 20-minute beginner level, equipment-free exercise videos to follow for five days.
Getting Into the Rhythm
Monday began with basic yoga, but we discovered a problem. The long school day had already drained our energy. I fell asleep upon reaching home and had to do two workouts the next day, not exactly coming in on the beat.
No Pain, No Gain
Come Tuesday evening, we tried HIIT. My lack of strength made some exercises impossible. Fact of the day: No reminder to exercise hits harder than not being able to do the exercises in a video “for beginners”.
When the Going Gets Tough
As we thought the hardest exercise was over, we chose zumba as our midweek workout, leaving us breathless. Despite the soreness, I felt energized and refreshed after.
What's Gonna Work? Teamwork!
These realisations ensured no one skipped Thursday’s cardio session - which we did together. We were all well-acquainted with group video calls after the quarantine and set a time to tough it out. Even struggling was fun together, and time zoomed by.
Don’t Skip Leg Day
For our last day, we planned a fun group activity - skipping! Tricks were exchanged, ropes were tripped on. Working out is tough, but it’s good for your health and wellness.
Tips
To incorporate exercise into your routine, the CATCH team has several pointers:
→ Jump right in! The key to forming routines is always to start first, and it’s much easier without second thoughts.
→ Make fitness fit you! Choose a suitable workout, depending on your initial strength or exercise goals.
→ Have fun with friends! Working out with company is perfect where there is a lack of motivation. Exercising together, even virtually, is helpful!
→ Embrace the results! The benefits of staying fit come in small parts over a long term, but keep trying to sustain the habit. From there, things just… work out!
For some good laughs, witness how we fumbled through each day in this video below.
