By Gary Yang
Note: All photos in this article were taken before the COVID-19 pandemic.
You know what they say about strangers? That they are friends that you have not already met. Well, that�s exactly the case for a bunch of participants who became friends after they met and hung out at Active Health Lab located at ActiveSG Sengkang Sport Centre.
Meet Bernadette Bong, who is in her 60s, and known affectionately as the �Big Mama� at the Active Health exercise workshop. She may be the most senior participant but she is the most enthusiastic of the lot! She is no slouch when it comes to fitness either and is able to keep up with her younger counterparts.
She had certain knee issues when exercising at first. That�s when Active Health Coach Douglas shared exercise science knowledege and corrected her exercise form and technique. Overtime, her competence and movements improved and she experienced lesser pain. Bernadette is now an advocate of active and healthy living and has recommended her friends to join her.
"Keep on keeping on for all areas of life" - Bernadette Bong
"Bernadette packs a punch whenever she comes around the Active Health Lab! She is one who brings her vivacious energy into our PA workshops and her welcoming nature has been the nucleus for all newcomers and regulars. Over the months with us, Bernadette�s growing curiosity about learning ways to improve and maintain her muscle mass has helped her add variety into her daily workout. She�s a role-model for us here." - Active Health Coach J-Ing
Enter Kimberly Tan, who is in her 20s, and chanced upon her campus email on Active Health workshops and decided to have a go at it. She was sceptical about benefitting from the workshops, especially so because she is already an active young adult. However, she has learnt a lot from the Active Health Coaches and one thing that really stuck with her is �technique over number of repetitions.�
Previously, she runs regularly and placed a lot of focus on the repetitions rather than the form, hence lacking focus on strength and balance. She was amazed at the amount of sweat she had at the end of the session, and the muscle soreness she experienced the next day, just simply from balancing. She believes that everyone has something to learn from these workshops no matter how big a sport junkie one may be.
"Always celebrate the small milestones!" - Kimberly Tan
"The first time Kimberly visited our lab, she took a keen interest in wanting to improve her fitness upon learning about her body composition. As a student then, she was committed to making time to kickstart a new fitness routine and that was when she joined us at our Active Health Physical Activity workshops! On this journey to better health, she influenced her younger sister to come onboard these sessions! Through commitment and determination, Kim saw the improvements in her skeletal muscle mass. We believe that Kim is an advocate for young adults who are determined to make a healthy change in their lifestyle!" - Active Health Coach J-Ing
Both Bernadette and Kimberly joined the face-to-face exercise sessions regularly under the guidance of Active Health Coaches, Douglas and J-Ing. During these sessions, they met and made friends with other seniors too. After the sessions, they usually stay back to chit chat with one another and have since created a Whatsapp chat group to keep each other informed of news and updates from Active Health and upcoming workshops.
Despite COVID-19, they continued to keep in touch with Active Health Coach Douglas and stayed active through running, following workouts on Youtube and constantly doing exercises that were taught during the Active Health exercises workshops. These exercises included cardio, strength and resistance training. Itching to return to the face-to-face workshops, there are also plans to create an interest group for these ladies on education and exercise components.
? Check out: Experiential workshops led by Active Health Coaches
? Check out: Stretches and workouts at work
"It�s a pleasure to coach Bernadette and Kimberly. Both of them are very keen learners filled with positive energy, and they are always willing to try new things especially new concepts and workouts that I introduced to the class. They keep themselves active during COVID-19 through modifying their lifestyle with other mediums of fitness channels to maintain their level of fitness � that�s a true Active Health spirit!" - Active Health Coach Douglas
And who would have guessed that working out at an Active Health Lab would result in such a beautiful friendship, forged across inter-generations and as a result of common health and fitness goals!
? READ: More articles and tips to help you Move Better
Gary Yang is a myActiveSG Editor and Presenter. Gary started his career as a suit cum copywriter at an advertising agency, followed by a successful stint in Corporate Communications with Singapore Press Holdings and Asia Pacific Breweries, before eventually joining the editorial team at Sport Singapore. He now turns his attention to fitness and wellness headlines and sniffing out news angles in the sporting arena.
Related Articles
Related Topics
Recent Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Topics
[BlogPost 164749641842 NSG 2024 Netball: Senior Div Girls League 3 Preliminary Round 2, BlogPost 163985727414 Beyond the Field: Exciting Sports Careers for Non-Athletes, BlogPost 164438712123 NSG 2024 Badminton: Senior Div Girls Quarter-Finals, BlogPost 164238055490 Evergreen Aleksandar Duric Still Making Headlines at 53, BlogPost 164170080646 NSG 2024 Rope Skipping: Junior Div Girls Freestyle Team Finals, BlogPost 162884973666 Move and Rest Better With Data From Your Own Body, BlogPost 163393049482 Life Comes Full Circle For Serangoon Garden Secondary School's Fahrish Khan, BlogPost 163258797651 Making Golf a Sport for All, BlogPost 162512222328 NSG 2024 Sepaktakraw: Senior Div Yuhua Primary School vs Qihua Primary School, BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches]