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Pilates Fitness Opens A New Branch @ Serangoon Garden

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While it is good to take a break away from work, one must never forget to keep fit and healthy. For one, I feel extremely guilty that I haven’t done any workouts for the last one month and with all the weekly food and alcohol binging, it certainly isn’t doing my body any good. The good news is, I’m still losing weight by managing my intake of calories but the bad news is, my body has been feeling lethargic and my fitness level is dropping really badly.
The solution?

Stop procrastinating and start working out by engaging in my weekly 5-Kilometre runs. To be honest, I really hate running; though I probably will get accustomed to it sooner or later. But what really would be useful for me right now would be some Pilates Classes at Pilates Fitness!

Previously, we have shared about our experience at Pilates Fitness and though the location was somewhat inconvenient for us, we are really glad that Pilates Fitness has recently opened another branch at Serangoon Gardens.

With the new branch at Serangoon Gardens, it now gives us an extra reason to take up Pilates classes at Pilates Fitness. In fact, we’re pretty sure a number of people would welcome this new avenue to keep themselves fit and healthy!

Now, one really awesome benefit of taking up Pilates instead of Gym Classes, Yoga Classes, or even Fitness Boot Camps is that Pilates has zero impact on the joints. This means that the elderly, obese, people with body size on a bigger side, pregnant ladies, or even those recovering from an injury can still do Pilates safely. If only I knew about this earlier, I probably would have been able to keep my weight in check as the wrist injury I sustained during National Service hindered me from doing a lot of physical activities. Moreover, running has a high impact on my knee joints and it is probably wiser to alternate between Pilates Classes and my weekly 5-Kilometre runs.

If you are wondering what classes at Pilates Fitness is like, check out the short clip that we have created.

You probably would have noticed from the video that the class size is small, and this is the case for every session at Pilates Fitness because they believed that every participant should be given maximum attention and interaction with the instructor. As a matter of fact, the ratio of the number of instructor to the number of participants per session is 1:10.

Apart from a small class size, the regular/full-time Pilates Instructors at Pilates Fitness would be able to monitor and keep track of your progress and fitness goals! As such, this allows them to be fully committed to your growth and development. Imagine the horror of having a different instructor every time you go for your lesson!

Well, it’s high time that we start getting our fitness back on track. Even as I am typing this blog entry, I really reminiscence the time we spent doing Pilates at Pilates Fitness and really, if you are looking for a positive and conducive environment to keep fit, lose weight, and tone some muscles, Pilates Fitness is the place!

For more details, do check out Pilates Fitness’ Facebook Page or Pilates Fitness’ Website!

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Fly Away With iFly Singapore at Sentosa!

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Flying has always been a childhood dream for many, even for me. Although I have yet to earn my airborne wings, the very thought of flying has always send my adrenaline pumping.
Just 3 days ago, an opportunity to fly was presented to both Jacqueline and I, and we found ourselves at the iFly Singapore for a Christmas Party that was full of unexpected thrills and excitement.

Christmas Party with iFly Singapore!

After registering ourselves, we took a short tour around iFly Singapore and saw professional skydivers honing their stunts in the wind tunnel. From the outside, flying looks rather easy but we found out much later that it wasn’t when we were in the wind tunnel ourselves.

Truly, iFly Singapore has painstakingly taken all measures to ensure that guests will get the closest experience to an actual outdoor skydive. The interior wall features coupled together with the visual and sound effects certainly make the whole flying experience a very exciting and immersive one.

As safety is of paramount importance at iFly Singapore, you can be rest assured that professional skydiving instructors will be onsite to guide you through your flight.

Apart from attempting an indoor skydiving experience for the very first time, we had the rarest of opportunity to watch home-grown local indoor skydivers whom attempted to break new Guinness World Records for the most number of backward somersaults and the most number of two-way verticals; both done while flying mid-air!

12 Year Old Kyra Poh Attempting to Break the Guinness World Records for the Most Number of Backward Somersaults

We were also quite heartened to hear from Mr Lawrence Koh, Founder and Managing Director of iFly Singapore, that iFly Singapore will be conducting education programmes for schools in Singapore. Students will have the opportunity to learn about science, physics, aerodynamics and the mechanics of how the wind tunnel works, with the practical component done by flying in the wind tunnel. Because of the unique edutainment and sports elements in indoor skydiving, indoor skydiving is indeed an exhilarating sport for flyers of all ages and skill levels, and students will get to experience the sensation of skydiving from 12,000ft without the high cost and risks of jumping out of an airplane, in a safe environment.

Team Firefly Putting Up A Splendid Indoor Skydiving Performance For the Audience During the Christmas Party at iFly Singapore

On top of the education program, iFly Singapore also plans to develop this internationally recognised sport in Singapore through the Sports Education Programme so that students can become technically proficient with the sport. In addition to providing students with an unconventional healthy and educational activity, the iFly Singapore Sports Education Programme is also designed to identify and groom students into professional indoor skydivers. Those that display exceptional performance and are adept with the different highly skilled manoeuvres would have the opportunity to participate in the Indoor Skydiving Championships including quarterly competitions in Singapore and the Indoor Skydiving World Championships around the world.

At the Christmas party, iFly Singapore also launched the proFLYER membership packages to offer both the young and old the opportunity to pick up indoor skydiving in a progressive manner. The proFLYER packages come in two tiers [Basic and Premium], each providing interested indoor skydivers with the opportunity to plan with an iFly Singapore instructor a training schedule to guide them and help them best optimise time spent in the wind tunnel. The iFly Singapore flight instructors, certified by the International Bodyflight Association [IBA], can also assist flyers in monitoring their performance and provide the necessary onsite coaching to help indoor skydivers turn from novices to pros.

Since opening in 2011, iFly Singapore has hosted over 120,000 visitors and held the world’s first Indoor Skydiving World Championships in 2012. We will definitely be visiting iFly Singapore again to fly and if we can fly, so can you!

Head down to iFly Singapore this Christmas season!

Even snowman enjoys indoor skydiving at iFly Singapore.

Tip: It is better for you to pre-book your first flight experience with iFly Singapore Online rather than walking-in as flight slots are limited.

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[Post-Event Thoughts]- Run For Hope 2013

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Two Sundays ago, we were at The Promontory @ Marina Bay to participate in the Run For Hope [10KM Category] and we had a blast completing the non-competitive charity run.
Organised by the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and Regent Singapore [A Four Seasons Hotel], this year marks the 21st run that the long-time supporters of cancer research have organised to show their support and dedication to finding a cancer cure and it saw more than 11,000 participants, the largest turnout in the event’s history, take part in the 3.5KM and 10KM routes at The Promontory @ Marina Bay.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower, showed her support for Run For Hope 2013 by flagging off the race proceedings as the run’s Guest-Of-Honour and joined the hundreds of families and supporters at the event to complete the 3.5KM route.

The 10KM race route was scenic and when I was running, it didn’t felt like I was doing a 10KM run as I was just too engrossed admiring the city skyline.

At the 7KM mark…

At the 9KM mark…

All participants were encouraged to personalise their running bibs to share their reasons for supporting the run and we too did the same.

Through Run For Hope 2013, over $460,000 was raised in support for cancer research at the National Cancer Centre Singapore and this accounts for the largest pool of funds raised from a run event organised by the hotels. The total amount also includes close to $25,000 that was raised by the two hotels, through separate fundraising activities in the lead-up to the event.

Overall, we were quite happy with the organisation of the run and we really enjoyed ourselves; all thanks to the almost 600 student volunteers from Temasek Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, University of Nevada Las Vegas Singapore, ITE College West, Anglican High School, and St Margaret’s Secondary School, whom contributed to the success of the event by helping out with the packing and distributing of the race pack collections, and the marshalling and handing out of bananas and water during the run!

We definitely look forward to future charity runs like these! 🙂

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Great Eastern Women Run 2013 @ Marina Bay Floating Platform

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It certainly feels great to be a woman during the Great Eastern Women Run that was held last Sunday at the Marina Bay Floating Platform.

Despite the light drizzle and overcast sky, women from all walks of life displayed courage and endurance when they came together with the aim of completing the wet and challenging run. At the flag-off point, the women were really enthusiastic about the run and many supporters comprising of the women’s brothers, boyfriend, husband, sons and etc., were there to lend their support and cheer the women on!

Jacqueline posing for a picture before the run.

Race flag-off by the VIPs and Guest of Honour, Dr Amy Khor. Dr Amy Khor herself also participated in the 5KM run with the ladies.

The ladies enjoying the run despite the grey skies.

In less than 34 minutes after the flag-off for the 10KM Race Category, the first woman to cross the finishing line is from Kenya.

Jacqueline participated in the 10KM Race Category and completed the run in less than 90 minutes, a timing that I considered not too bad for someone who didn’t even train for the run!

To be honest, I was initially quite concerned about the safety of the runners due to the bad weather but the race organiser really took painstaking efforts to ensure that medical coverage was sufficient. However, Jacqueline did commented that it would have been better if the race routes for both the 5KM and 10KM categories are different as there were areas that experienced heavy human traffic; making the race quite difficult to run.

To further provide an enhanced running experience, there were also 21 female pacers for the 10km and 21.1km route this year, marking a first for a run in Singapore. The pacers, who had to undergo two months of training, were cherry picked by Team FatBird.

Although the run was only meant for the ladies, the men and children were able to entertain themselves at the Live Great Carnival that were bustling with many activities.

The Great Eastern Women’s Run was also an opportunity for female runners to raise awareness and funds for health issues closely associated with women. This year, $38,370 were raised for the Breast Cancer Foundation, Singapore Heart Foundation, Singapore Cancer Society [Cancer Prevention Fund] and Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations.

I’m pretty sure Jacqueline would be raring to sign up for the Great Eastern Women’s Run next year; especially when she was pampered with the tons of goodies that were made available! If only there was such a race for the men!

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[Blog Giveaway]- Keep Fit & Tone Up with Pilates Fitness

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Both Jacqueline and I have been attending Pilates Classes at Pilates Fitness for about a week now and we can feel the pace of the classes picking up with increasing intensity. Even then, the Pilates Classes aren’t that tough and both of us are able to survive every lesson without fail!

If you are wondering what exactly is Pilates, you can check out our previous blog entry -> here. Now, if you are interested to join a Pilates Class, the next question that you might probably have would be, “Is Pilates only for fit people and is it difficult to do?”

Well, the answer is a big ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Both Jacqueline and I went for our first Pilates Class at Pilates Fitness with zero experience and though we were initially apprehensive about going for the Pilates Class, it really wasn’t so bad after all because all classes are customised by the instructor, according to the strength and weakness of each participant. Hence, there is no categorisation of classes into Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced levels. As a matter of fact, the instructor will adjust the difficulty level of each exercise to make it challenging for everyone, regardless of differences in strength. For example, a male participant may have to put on a heavier load than a female participant if the instructor feels that he can cope with the exercises.

Now, how has the Pilates Classes with Pilates Fitness helped us thus far?

The Pilates Classes have greatly benefitted us in many ways!

Firstly, there are noticeable physical body changes, especially on our abdominal, thighs, calves, and even the chest. Our muscles are rather toned up now and it can do with more training. If we are to compare working out in the gym lifting weights and having Pilates Classes at Pilates Fitness, we will gladly sign up for Pilates any time because the Pilates exercises really works out the entire body and most importantly, it helps to create a better body posture by firming up both the abs and the back!

Secondly, we could control our breathing better now. Take for example, we recently went for a short 5KM jog around the neighbourhood and we could literally jog throughout without stopping while maintaining a constant pace. The breathing technique that we learnt from the Pilates Class is really useful and we’re pretty hopeful that our timing for our upcoming 10KM run for the Run For Hope Event will be way better than our previous runs!

Thirdly, apart from a reduction in our body weight, the fat % and muscle mass % in our bodies have also significantly improved. Having attended 4 Pilates Classes so far and coupled together with some runs, I have lost about 1KG and I saw my fat % dropped to 20.5 % and my muscle mass gaining up to 37.4 %! That to me is a huge achievement ever since I started my keep-fit regime in June.

Do you have the desire to start living healthy and kick start a keep-fit regime?

Well, we have a piece of wonderful news for all of you and that is, in collaboration with Pilates Fitness, a FREE Pilates Class [worth SGD$54] will be given away to ALL of you readers! Yes, you read it right, ALL OF YOU READERS!

There is strictly no obligation for you to sign up for any package or whatsoever and it is entirely up to you to decide and see for yourself how Pilates can help you achieve your goal of keeping healthy!

However, there are the usual Terms & Conditions that you have to bear in mind if you wish to redeem your FREE Pilates Class with Pilates Fitness:

1. This exclusive promotion is only valid for first time customers of Pilates Fitness.

2. You will have to choose between a 30 mins reformer intro + 55 mins Weight Loss Class OR Core & Body Aches Class only.

3. This exclusive promotion will be valid till 21st December 2013.

Now to redeem your free Pilates Class with Pilates Fitness, all you have to do is the following:

1. ‘Like’ Pilates Fitness Facebook Page & A Winsome Life Facebook Page.

2. Quote “A Winsome Life” when you call/email Pilates Fitness at +65 9184 7622 / enquiry@PilatesFitness.com.sg to book a slot!

It is that easy!

So for all you couch potatoes, don’t procrastinate already! Start keeping yourselves fit and healthy now!

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Our Virgin Pilates Class with Pilates Fitness

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From our previous blog posts, you would have noticed that we were indulging in generous scoops of ice creams that were overladen with calories and because we wanted to burn off those excess calories, what could be a better way to do so other than going for an invigorating Pilates class?

Jacqueline’s cute socks for the Pilates class.

Well, thanks to the friendly and generous people from Pilates Fitness, both Jacqueline and I were offered a complimentary one month unlimited Pilates trial classes at Pilates Fitness and ever since we had our first Pilates class last Friday, we are always looking forward to our next class.

Now, many people would probably have the notion that Pilates and Yoga are the same but they are not. Pilates is unlike Yoga. Yoga poses are considered as a preamble to center, calm, and prepare the body for concentrated sessions of seated meditation. In contrast, Pilates was developed as a logical system of exercises specifically designed to enhance and balance the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of the human body. In other words, Pilates is not about sitting still or holding poses; Pilates is about movement! Although both Yoga and Pilates are breath-based disciplines, the primary styles of breathing are quite different. While Yoga teaches the individual to breathe in and out through the nose, which helps to calm the nervous system down; Pilates teaches the individual to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. The Pilates breathing is called diaphragmatic and it helps to engage the core muscles throughout the exercise.

Pilates can be done on a Mat or on a Reformer and because both Jacqueline and I were newbies in using the Pilates Reformer, we had to go for an “Introduction to Reformers Class” where the Instructor from Pilates Fitness taught us how to use the Reformers safely and the various footworks/exercises that could be done on the reformer.

The Reformer glides forward & backward on rollers and uses springs for resistance, along with other attachments, for a wide variety of exercises and positions such as lying down, seated, and/or standing.

Pilates was developed by Joseph H Pilates [1880 – 1967] and it was originally named as Body Contrology. Pilates created “The Pilates Principles” to condition the entire body; proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement. You probably would be surprised to know that this unique set of 500 different exercises are being practised by more than 11 million people worldwide today!

During the Pilates class, my body was literally shaking all over and because Pilates is a mind-body workout, I encountered some difficulty in engaging my mind to coordinate between my physical movements and breathing techniques. Even then, the Pilates class was still an enjoyable session throughout.

After the Pilates class, both Jacqueline and I felt rather invigorated and even when we were expecting our body to ache the very next day, it didn’t and we felt so active that we decided to take a 4KM stroll along Punggol Park.

Over the next 1 month, we will be sharing with you about the progress of our weight-loss through Pilates and we hope to share more with all of you soon.

Stay tuned!

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[Event Listing]- Run for Hope 2013

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Ever since we completed The Colour Run Singapore 2013 at Sentosa, we have been on the lookout for running events to participate in and we’re happy to say, Jacqueline will be participating in a 10KM Great Eastern Women’s Run 2013 this November at The Float @ Marina Bay. Since it is a women’s run, I won’t be able to participate but I will be there to cheer Jacqueline on and take some shots.
Apart from the Great Eastern Women’s Run, there is also another run that is taking place in the same month too and if you haven’t heard about it, the run is none other than the Run For Hope 2013 that will be taking place on 17 November 2013 at The Promontory @ Marina Bay.

Run For Hope is an annual run organised by Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Regent Singapore, and the National Cancer Centre Singapore [NCCS] to raise much-needed awareness and support for cancer research.

Since the inaugural run in 1993, Run For Hope has become one of Singapore’s largest runs that raises awareness and support for cancer research. This will be the sixth year that National Cancer Centre Singapore [NCCS] is the beneficiary.

Last year’s Run For Hope 2012 saw more than 10,000 runners, raising close to S$450000 and this year, the organisers aim to draw 15,000 participants and raise a sum of S$600,000 for cancer research. Fundraising efforts have already started at both Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and Regent Hotel Singapore, and to date, over S$3,800 has already been raised by staff, and many more fundraising activities are planned leading up to the November run.

Run For Hope 2012 Runners

A non-competitive run with two distance options, Run For Hope seeks to draw support across all sectors; the young and the old, individuals, families and groups, clubs and corporate.

On event day, participants stand the chance to win some fantastic prizes, including overseas stays at a number of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Want to support a worthy cause?

Be one of the 15,000 runners for Run For Hope 2013 and make a difference now!

Online registration for Run For Hope 2013 is now open on www.runforhope.sg and for more information and updates, you can check out Run For Hope 2013 Facebook Page too!

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Looking For Some Way Better Snacks That Are Healthier Than Your Usual Snacks?

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Do you like snacking away while doing your work or watching the television?
Well, we do and at times, snacking can be quite unhealthy because the consumption of excessive junk food leads to an excess intake of calories in the body!

Since snacking is so unhealthy, is there even such a thing as healthy snacking then? Yes, there is and we have some good news for you!

Recently, we received some samples of Way Better Snacks and we are absolutely in love with it! In case you’re wondering what exactly is Way Better Snacks, it is essentially a packet of tortilla chips that contain organic sprouted chia seeds, daikon radish seeds, flax seeds, quinoa and broccoli seeds! Packed with so much goodness, the tortilla chips are not only certified gluten free & non-genetically modified [GMO], they are also ridiculously delicious! Yes, ridiculously delicious!

Some of you might probably ask this, “How different is the tortilla chips from Way Better Snacks as compared to maybe say, Doritos?”

The answer is pretty simple.

The tortilla chips from Doritos contains tons of preservatives and chemicals like monosodium glutamate [MSG] and as far as possible, the consumption of MSG is highly discouraged as they can be rather bad for health. Not only that, the amount of calories and sodium that Doritos’ tortilla chips contain are higher than the ones from Way Better Snacks.

Here’s a quick nutritional comparison between the tortilla chips from Doritos and Way Better Snacks. 

Doritos Tortilla Chips

Way Better Snacks

The added benefits of consuming the tortilla chips from Way Better Snacks is that it contains sprouted ingredients. By including sprouted ingredients like flaxseed, chia seeds, quinoa, black beans, broccoli seed and daikon radish seeds, Way Better Snacks has built a better tortilla chip that is healthy, all-natural, and ridiculously delicious.

The following video will show you why sprouted ingredients is good for the body!

Way Better Snacks is made in the United States and it is available in 6 different delicious flavours; Simply Sunny Multi Grain, Simply Sweet Potato, Simply Beyond Black Beans, Simply Sweet Chili, Simply Unbeatable Blues and No Salt Naked Blues.

Because Way Better Snacks is a much healthier choice, you can be pretty sure that we will be stocking up on them for our regular movie dates!

If you’re interested in snacking healthily, here’s some places where you can get Way Better Snacks in Singapore:

Real Food | SG Organic | Zenxin Organic Food | The Straits Wine Company | The Nutrition Clinic |

Happy Snacking!

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Our Experience of the First-Ever Color Run Held @ Sentosa, Singapore

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+All Video Footage and Photographs were taken using the iPhone except for the last Photograph in this Blog Entry+
The first-ever Color Run took place last weekend and both Jacqueline and I signed up for the Saturday race that kicked-off at 5pm. When I first heard of The Color Run via an email advertisement from Sentosa, I was rather intrigued by the concept and I decided to sign up right away after watching some videos of the past Color Runs that were held in other parts of the world.

Guess what?

Within 3 hours after the registration for The Color Run opened in late June, all the race slots were taken up and I was rather thankful that I signed up early. After all, surly the early bird catches the worm right? 🙂

Before The Color Run

We were informed via email to collect our Race Pack at *Scape and when the day for us to collect our Race Packs came, the number of people whom were at *Scape was massive! I personally had to queue up for more than 5 hours before I managed to collect the Race Packs and it was a disaster; considering the fact that I had to skip dinner just to collect a Race Pack which contains the Number Bib, some CIMB Bank Brochures, a Portable Plastic Water-Holder, a Color Run Tattoo, a Color Run T-Shirt, an Event Wrist-Tag, and 4 Safety Pins.

The Long Queue At *Scape!

This very incident sparked off an outrage amongst those whom signed up for The Color Run and some even went all the way out to obtain a refund for the race. Personally, I really feel that the Race Pack Collection could do with more planning and logistical arrangements and though it left quite a bad impression on me at the start, the ending was way better than the beginning.

After The Color Run

Thinking back, The Color Run was extremely well-received during the Race Day and we had a blast at the Sentosa Beach. For both Jacqueline and I, it was our first-time doing a 5KM Run as a couple and for myself personally, it was my first-time doing a 5KM run. The longest distance that I have ever ran was less than 4KM and ever since last weekend’s Color Run, I purposed in my heart to participate in more of such runs!

With The Color Run Mascot

Jump If You’re Happy!

The Runners All Decked-Out In Interesting Costumes!

The Color Run is suitable for everyone, whether young or old. 🙂

The choice of location for The Color Run was an extremely wise move by the organisers and the sponsors [Mini, W Hotel, CIMB Bank, New Balance] for The Color Run were extremely supportive as well.

Mini Car Stuffed With Bananas!

We pretty much had a lot of fun with the awesome people from New Balance and seriously, we are considering to put away our Asics Shoes and don a new pair of New Balance Shoes instead. At The Color Run, we were introduced to the latest running shoes offered by New Balance and we really wonder if New Balance Singapore would want to sponsor us with new pairs of sports shoes for all of our runs especially since we are planning to be a true blue loyal fan of New Balance! 😛

Our Shoes Before The Run

Our Shoes After The Run

At every 1KM mark, there would be a Color Zone where runners will have colored powder thrown at them and as for me, I prefer to have the colored powder on me in a different way. The colored powder that were thrown are safe and it is basically 100% natural food grade cornstarch.

All Clean and White Before The Run

All Colourful After The Run

Feeling Happy After The Color Run- Indeed the Happiest 5K On Planet Earth!

Beautiful Sight After The Run

All The Runners Just Basking In The Evening Sun

A Typical Sight After Every Major Events- Uniquely Singapore; Some Things Just Don’t Change!

Well, we really hope that The Color Run will be an annual affair here in Singapore and if you haven’t had the opportunity to participate in The Color Run this year, cross your fingers and pray that it will be here in Singapore next year!

To end off, here’s a video that summarises our experience at The Color Run Singapore 2013. 🙂

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