Guest Contributor Series — Tanya (Tan) Sertthin
Photo credit: Tom B (@everything_tom)
Tan is a foodie and fitness enthusiast born and raised in Thailand. She spent 8 years in the United States attending prep school and college. Her fitness journey led to an opportunity to teach a rhythmic boxing group class in Bangkok. She’s currently working as a consultant at IBM, with a goal to eventually work with her family business in food manufacturing.
During my college years, health was not my priority. The once active and healthy lifestyle I had in high school was replaced with partying, eating out, and staying up late. Working out, to me, was a chore. My friends would always force me to go to the gym with them. However, when I finally found a workout that I really enjoyed, my journey towards health began.
I fell in love with spinning because the heart of the class was pumping music, flashing lights, and powerful choreography that pushed me through the intense cardio. As I exponentially improved in spinning, I started gaining more confidence in myself. At that point in my life, working out was essential in my daily routine. I began to eat better in order to perform my best in class and I felt great about my progress. I noticed that my energy levels improved immensely. Since I’m all about new experiences, I branched out to HIIT circuit style classes and really felt the benefits from combining this style of workout into my pure cardio program. Then, I was convinced to try out strength training and fell in love with that as well; I became stronger and noticed a significant change in my body. Most importantly, through going to different gyms and studios, I’ve met lifelong friends. They are a source of inspiration and a positive driver in my health journey. To me, health is a combination of what you eat and how you stay active. We only have one life so we might as well make the best of it, including loving and taking care of ourselves as much as we can!
We asked Khun Tan to share some tips on how you can jump-start your fitness journey, so read on below to discover them:
1. Find a gym buddy — One of my best friends dragged me to go spinning with her. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have found my passion for spinning, which ultimately started my love for health and fitness. If you are intimidated to attend a group class or gym, grab a buddy (preferably more experienced than you) so he/she can show you the ropes and keep you accountable. You can also make it a routine with friends to go workout together first and then grab a meal after.
2. Explore different types of workouts — Be open minded to trying new studios and workouts until you find your favourite type of workout. The more you explore, the more you will understand your body’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as what you like and don’t like in a workout. For example, I have a background of dancing and I love listening to music. Therefore, I tend to enjoy workouts that are rhythm-based such as spinning, rhythmic boxing, and Zumba. During this pandemic, there are so many international studios and apps offering free workouts, so be sure to take advantage of that and check them out.
3. Go in with a Positive Mindset — Don’t compare yourself to other people at the studio. Everyone is on a different timeline in their health and fitness journey. Put in your best effort every workout session and you will start seeing progress, little by little, if you stay consistent. It is also important to understand your body and challenge it when you feel like you have more energy in the tank. I was very intimidated when I first started spinning, so I sat in the very last row in my spin class. However, I loved the workout so much that I went at least 5 times a week for about 6 months. I now am confident enough to sit in the front row!
4. Look into Personal Training — Seek a health and fitness expert to learn more about your body and to help you get stronger. The trainer will develop a program just for you to hit your goals. Choosing the right trainer is crucial, so make sure you do your research on their background, such as their specialty and experience in training. Having a personal trainer is like having a health and fitness Encyclopaedia. I learned so much about technique, class programming, and nutrition through my personal trainer to the point where I was confident enough to share this knowledge when I became a group class instructor. Through personal training, I developed a passion for strength training, which I never thought I would be into at all!
5. Push yourself — In order to see progress, the workout itself should not feel easy. You can always increase your weights, resistance, and reps. Working out is also a mental exercise where you need to get used to being in the zone of discomfort and still be able to encourage yourself to always push a little more.
6. Feeling a sore after workout? TOTALLY normal. Your body is in shock from switching up your exercises and increasing the workout intensity. Make sure you stay hydrated, get good rest, and eat well. The following day you can opt for a less intense, low impact workout; it’s very important to stay consistent with your workouts.