Lee Ying Ying and Desmond Lim. Photo: Desmond Lim 

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Laozi

Lee Ying Ying, 27 years old, who works at Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA), was already keen to change her lifestyle habits for the better in terms of nutrition and staying active before she discovered Active Health through a Straits Time article. Active Health proved to be the perfect catalyst in her pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.

She stays active nowadays by participating in Tabata and kickboxing classes on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons respectively at Heartbeat@Bedok.

She has since lost 3kg in weight and her body fat percentage has dropped by 4%.

There are challenges though. Being an avid lover of dramas, Ying Ying may feel tempted to indulge in her favourite serials at the rare expense of sleep time and thus she is still trying to adjust her habits to manage her screen time. Not satisfied with just reaping the benefits from her Active Health journey, Ying Ying decided to bring her boyfriend, Desmond Lim, 29 years old, on board.

Desmond had already heard of Active Health previously before joining Sport Singapore last year. However, he only started to be more proactive after Ying Ying got him to join her for the Tabata and kickboxing classes. Like many of us, he cited irregular working hours in his previous job as the main reason why he wasn’t leading an active lifestyle for the past three years.

Desmond and Ying Ying working out with their friends, Xuan Yi (second from left) and Gwendy Photo: Desmond Lim

After making some lifestyle changes with Active Health, he lost 5kg and noticed a reduction in body fats percentage (7%). He also saw a shift in terms of his food selection and screen time usage. One thing that stood out was the fact that he now drinks a cup of water before every meal. This simple habit helped to increase his overall water intake compared to previously when he was not consuming enough water.

Desmond said: “It’s important to start with simple steps and Active Health is a good way to start.”

Active Health Experts, Christabelle Ho and Melvin Lam, were there for Ying Ying and Desmond every step of the way.

Melvin shared: “From our interaction, I can see the passion that they want to change their lifestyle. At first they started only by coming for our Expert-led clinics, but as weeks passed by, I started hearing them mentioning about regular weekly table tennis sessions, and how they were picking up more sports as a result of exploration. I got more motivated to see how they had progressed through the weeks, and did my best to make sure that I can answer any questions they might have when it comes to their own fitness and health, as I believe only with information can one make an informed decisions.”

Photo: Desmond Lim

Christabelle added: “It was encouraging to see the couple coming for all the sessions together (expert-led clinics and check-In) after their Fitness and Health Assessment at the Active Health Lab (Heartbeat@Bedok). I do observe them going for ActiveSG programmes together on Saturdays as well. By returning to the lab for check-in (every 3 months), the experts were able to provide the couple with more personalised advice on the health domains. It helped that they were receptive to us and committed to making simple changes in their lifestyle. I believe that having a goal in mind and each other for social support were the key ingredients to their success!”

The couple has since spread the love further and invited two other friends to join them at the Tabata classes.

So, are you ready to begin your Active Health journey? Remember, all it takes is a single step (or click of the mouse or tap of a finger in this case).