Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Reina Li
Be inspired by the success stories of fitness influencers, celebrities, models and trainers in Singapore
Cheryl Tay
·Contributor
Mon, 4 September 2023 at 1:00 am GMT+1·6-min read
Singapore #Fitspo of the Week Reina Li is the acting CEO of True Group. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
Life goes beyond the digits on the scale and your body is capable of so much more! Yahoo’s #Fitspo of the Week series is dedicated to inspirational men and women in Singapore leading healthy and active lifestyles. Have someone to recommend? Hit Cheryl up on Instagram or Facebook!
Name: Reina Lim
Age: 46
Height: 1.61m
Weight: 58kg
Occupation: Acting Chief Executive Officer, True Group
Status: Married
Food: On ordinary days with no work-related lunch commitments, I eat some oats and hard-boiled egg whites for breakfast, seven pieces of non-fried yong tau foo in soup for lunch, and home-cooked dinner comprising chicken/beef/pork, vegetables and soup with one scoop of rice, or sushi/sashimi with minimum rice. On the weekends, I generally have one "sinful" meal with the family based on the kid's choices.
Exercise: I hit the gym twice a week – once for kickboxing and another for strength training – and try to take evening walks twice a week too. On the weekends, I do golf at the driving range, play a few rounds of bowling, or cycle and inline-skate with my children.
Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?
Since I was a kid, sports have been a huge part of my life and being active has always come naturally to me. I took up taekwondo but didn't stick with it long enough to reach a black belt. I tried my hand at various sports over the years, including track and field with 100m sprints and hurdles, and I was also a school swimmer during my secondary school days.
Reina enjoys playing golf and doing inline-skating with her kids. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
Besides that, I actively engaged in badminton and bowling as well. Out of all the subjects taught in school, physical education was my favourite.
What did you get into as you got older?
As I got older, I discovered the joy of playing golf. I like the focus that each game required and that became an escape from work and stress for a couple of hours. I couldn't make time for team sports due to my busy schedule, but I made sure to stay active by participating in various charity events like Oxfam Trailwalker and Orbis Moonwalkers.
During my 10 years of living in Hong Kong, I loved hiking on weekends. It was a refreshing escape from the busy city life and allowed me to connect with nature.
Growing up, I had always wanted to inline skate and ski, but my parents were worried about my safety. When I wanted to pick these sports up in my 20s and 30s, I was fearful of the speed. When my kids were around five to six years old, I wanted them to pick up these sports before they cultivated the same fear. Hence, I enrolled us in a couple of classes.
Inline skating allowed me to overcome my fear of speed and learn how to ski properly. I enjoy the carefree feeling I get when skating and skiing – I feel the wind and like a bird soaring through the air... plus you get a workout!
How do you balance your career (including your various businesses), your family and your social life?
Despite my busy schedule and limited time, I make it a priority to hit the gym twice a week – one for kickboxing and another for strength training. To optimise my productivity on workdays, I plan my gym sessions during lunchtime and usually head to True Fitness at Great World City as it’s more convenient for me.
Despite her busy work life, Reina prioritises hitting the gym twice per week. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
My favourite strength training exercises are the barbell deadlifts and squats. I love the sense of accomplishment each time I am able to increase the weights. I also like using the pectoral fly / rear deltoid machine as it helps to correct my posture and strengthen my deltoids and upper back. I always end my weight training sessions with a full-body stretch.
I also attend yoga classes at Yoga Edition and I hope to do so more regularly – at least once a week. The stretch is definitely much needed and I would like to retain and increase my flexibility.
I also make it a point to take a walk in the evenings at least twice a week with my children. It's a great opportunity for me to bond with them as we talk about their school day and enjoy quality time together. On Friday evenings, I like to relax and socialise with friends over a couple of drinks.
During the weekends, while my kids are at their Taekwondo class, I take advantage of the time to go to the driving range or play a few rounds of bowling. I make a conscious effort not to work on weekends because I want to focus on spending quality time with my family and give myself a chance to relax and recharge before the busy work week ahead.
On Sundays, I mainly focus on spending quality time with my kids through fun fitness activities like cycling or inline skating. It's such a fantastic way for us to come together as a family, enjoying each other's company while staying healthy and active.
What are some of the challenges of the fitness industry that you face in your role as acting CEO of True Group?
The COVID-19 pandemic situation was really tough for many businesses and ours was no exception. True Group’s top priority now is to steer the company through the aftermath and stay ahead of the competition with a great variety of fitness equipment and fresh group class offerings to attract both the younger generation and our loyal older customers.
Reina advises taking a "brain break" if one feels overwhelmed in life. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself? Or did you go through any adversities in life that made you change how you viewed life?
I've always been a positive person and I believe that every problem has a solution. I wholeheartedly believe that in staying positive and persevering, you'll find a way out of any difficulty life throws at you.
When I feel overwhelmed, I try to distract myself and remove negative feelings by taking a "brain break" – either going to the driving range, watching a movie, or having a good night’s sleep.
When did you feel the least confident about yourself?
During the pandemic, the lockdowns, stress and uncertainty of the situation led me to neglect self-care and I ended up putting on more weight than I felt comfortable with. This was the first time my appearance affected my confidence.
I decided to turn things around by exercising regularly and following a strict diet to lose the extra weight. With dedication and discipline, I have reached a point where I feel comfortable and positive about myself. It has been a journey with ups and downs, but I'm proud of my progress so far.
This experience has taught me the importance of self-care and staying committed to a healthy lifestyle. It's all about embracing the journey and appreciating the positive changes along the way.
Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Reina Li. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
