Anubhav Sharma
While it is extremely difficult for me to pen this down, I decided to submit my entry and share my story with the encouragement of my friends.
In year 2016, I suffered a heavy loss in my business which wiped out all my savings and saddled me with debt. My partner left me and I plunged into the throes of depression. I would have frequent anxiety attacks and mood swings, which distanced me from my friends and family.
I started therapy sessions with various counsellors to address this issue, but nothing seemed to get me out from the grip of depression. I was generally unfit and working out had never once crossed my mind then. However, I chanced upon a Fitness First booth at Raffles Place and decided to walk over to talk to a consultant. It was this one step towards the right direction on 14 July 2017 that changed my life ever since.
As a new joined member with no gym experience, my idea of working out was spending some time on the treadmill daily and heading home. The staff at Fitness First Market Street egged me on, and I decided to give the group exercise classes a shot. They guided me through several classes at Fitness First, starting with easier body weight classes such as Freestyle Group Training to more challenging classes like BODYPUMP, RPM and Grit Strength.
Gradually, I saw a positive change in my mental and physical health. I lost 16kgs within the first year (16% weight reduction), reducing my body fat percentage from 28% to 14% with a lean and toned look.
Exercising helps me to focus better, improves concentration and regulates my sleeping patterns. Definitely a great mood elevator! To feel good about myself is the ultimate goal and the two years spent in a great environment like Fitness First with cheerful staff, a fantastic lounge area and great music really helped. Each and every member I have met at the clubs has always gone out of his/her way to assist and made me feel welcome. A special mention has to be made for Yeoh Kok Sin, a group fitness instructor who has played a huge role in my fitness journey. He constantly encouraged me to challenge myself to up my fitness game, and his classes are engaging and well-planned to ensure a complete and gratifying workout. His guidance has helped me and several others to improve our form and technique during our workouts, while making every class fun and enjoyable for everyone. And that’s exactly what keeps people turning up day after day, week after week.
Fitness First is a community of fitness enthusiasts and we motivate each other to constantly better ourselves while engaging in entertaining banter, the term I use for my workouts at Fitness First is Fitotainment (fitness and entertainment rolled into one)!
The reason I chose Fitness First over all other options is that Fitness First is not just a gym, it is an entire workout experience to be seen to believe. With many accessible locations and spacious gym floor to work out without feeling claustrophobic, the energy at Fitness First is always pulsating with positivity every single day. Love the coffee and my favourite fruit infused water at the lounge area too!
As an extremely private person, it has been very difficult for me to come forward and share about my depression on a public platform. I hope I am able to inspire and stand with those fighting depression, to experience the power of fitness today.
