Enny Zaini
The road to fitness is never easy. The struggle is real and one needs total dedication along with strong willpower to succeed. Just ask fitness instructor Richard Chua, who said there are no short cuts to achieving the ultimate health goal.
Known to his peers as ‘Strive with Richard’, this civil engineer by profession realised he wasn’t as fit as he thought. It would be impossible for him to use the stairs without feeling any pain in his knees as his joints felt like it was giving up on him. Considering he was in his mid 40s, he felt it was too soon for him to suffer from any bone ailments.
He signed up for a gym membership but that did not do much as he found himself feeling lost in a sea of bodybuilders. Instead of losing weight, he gained some.
Life took a different turn for him when he met a French fitness instructor, who was interested in buying his motorcycle. He offered Chua one hour of personal training for free, to see if he was up for the challenge. Chua went along with the suggestion and that proved to be his wake-up call. The workout was gruelling.
After realising he needed the adrenaline rush that he had been craving for all these time, he signed up with the new coach.
The first few classes were quite an ordeal. Although his coach was very patient, Chua was feeling frustrated for not being able to accomplish some of the set goals for the day and realised he needed to put in extra effort.
“The hardest thing for me was to give up on my favourite snacks. I had to control myself from consuming unhealthy food and to control my diet intake,” he said.
He felt more motivated when he noticed that he actually had made some progress – shedding 15 kilogrammes in three months.
“Considering I workout three times a week (cheat day every Sunday) I felt proud of my personal achievement. I have my French fitness coach to thank for who was extremely pleased with my accomplishment,” he said.
Apart from the personal training, Chua also attended fitness classes conducted by his coach such as indoor cycling, circuit training, strength training and yoga.
“I was surprised when he called on me to run one of his circuit training classes as he had to attend to an urgent matter. Although I had little confidence, my coach’s faith in me gave me the push to step up and lead the class. It turned out a success which gave me the encouragement to try and become a fitness instructor. I signed up for a few training courses on health and fitness and succeeded in becoming a certified instructor,” he explained.
For the first time, he felt his life has a purpose. With a full-time job, he has to plan his time well to cater to his clients’ workout classes. Having been a body workout and indoor cycling instructor for five years, he said it is rewarding to see positive changes in his clients, seeing them reach their weight goals.
“It is also self-gratifying to know that I have played a significant part in their fitness journey and contributed to their success,” he said.
One of the highlights in his fitness journeys was his involvement in the Ministry of Health’s Workplace and Health (WAH) Programme in 2019 ,where he was assigned to be one of the leading instructors. The WAH programme is an initiative aimed at encouraging the workplace to provide supportive environments and action for employees to be active, eat healthy, be smoke-free and have a good mental well-being.
“It was quite an experience to lead groups of people from the Ministry of Development, Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications and His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam Royal Flight in a light workout. Most were enthusiastic and it was very encouraging to see the overwhelming response,” he said.
Most of Chua’s clients had weight issues.
“The obesity rate in Brunei is quite alarming with an expected average increase of 4.2 per cent a year, according to the Ministry of Health. It doesn’t do much to go for a five-kilometre brisk walk only to have roti telur and Teh Tarik right after the workout,” he said.
“There is no age limit when it comes to fitness. But you have to start somewhere. My advice for beginners is to ask around for gym recommendations. Sign up for your preferred class and make sure to inform the instructor that you are a beginner.
“You also need to enjoy your workout and not to see it as a form of torture. If you enjoy cycling, sign up for a spinning class or if you prefer movements, join a Zumba session,” he said.
Chua also suggested brisk walking for those who are too lazy for workouts. They can start slowly by aiming for five kilometres (KM).
Once they are comfortable enough, they can go for seven to even 10KM.
“It’s never too late to start a healthy lifestyle. Your body can do anything. It’s your brain that you need to convince!”
