Daniel Lim
With the nation now fully embracing the new norm in the endemic phase, many are relieved to be able to return to some semblance of normalcy as they look forward to finding a renewed motivation to partake in various activities, especially those related to the outdoors and exercising.
Recently, I spoke to three entrepreneurs – Brian Khoo, Faiz Safain, and Nena Yapp – who are the co-founders of Top Fitness Studio in Belait District, which they established to provide a friendly environment for those who share a common goal of leading a healthier lifestyle.
They shared their stories about the different starts in their respective health journeys.
For Brian, the start of his healthy journey was motivated by the urge to better himself, both physically and mentally.
“I started because I wanted to look and feel good. In my younger years, I was overweight and lazy, and I didn’t feel good about myself both physically and mentally. So that was the main motivating factor to start getting into fitness.”
Similarly, Faiz recalled how “throughout my 20s, I was pretty unhealthy and was fairly overweight. It didn’t feel good to be like that, so I decided to make some changes and make small steps one at a time.”
Meanwhile, for Nena, it all began when she gradually picked up a few healthy habits to improve her lifestyle. “I wasn’t that interested in getting fit but later on as I got through the habit, it got a lot better.”
While the trio all got a start in leading a healthy lifestyle, each of them had a different perspective on maintaining the lifestyle as they reminisced the challenges during the height of the global pandemic.
Faiz shared it was difficult initially when the rules and regulations for the pandemic were first set. However, he and his wife decided to make do “by using small home equipment, and we also rented some gym equipment from the local gyms in Kuala Belait so that we could maintain our habit of keeping a healthy lifestyle”.
For Brian, he admittedly said he got lazy when movement was restricted during those days.
“But once everything eased up and we could start moving around, I was lucky that I had some friends and family that do like to keep active.”
Meanwhile, Nena highlighted how she was able to adapt to the global pandemic through online fitness classes. “Online classes were still on, so we did a bit of that. In a way, I feel we are quite blessed in Brunei, compared to the rest of the world when they were under restrictions… we had a bit more freedom in that sense.”
Being in the endemic phase, the trio gave their takes on the new norm.
Faiz said his first thought was that he could resume visiting gyms as like he used to pre-COVID. “Nothing changed, just that we were all excited to go back to how things were,” he said.
Brian also shared the same sentiment, noting how the situation has returned to normalcy.
“Now we can go around and work out with friends, as well as go out and try different workout routines.”
While Nena has maintained her routine through online classes, she was glad that physical face-to-face classes were able to start again.
“For me, it is a plus as I am a very sociable person, so one thing I like about classes is that I can meet up with friends and get healthy together, which is also a common thread that brings us together.”
Looking forward to the future, the fitness enthusiasts shared their optimism about the several initiatives and efforts made to further promote healthy lifestyle.
“It is great that we have this greater awareness on health in our country,” said Brian, with Faiz adding, “It’s not just about physical health – the government has been promoting a lot of issues of mental health and it’s a right step forward.”
