Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Valerie Ng

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: Valerie Ng (@val.nsm)

Age: 27

Height: 1.69m

Weight: 59kg

Occupation: 1-on-1 Freelance Personal Trainer

Status: Single

Food: Apart from periods where I am prepping either for a competition which adheres to a strict weight class, or which requires me to maintain a more favourable body composition to move fast and lift heavy, I do not have a strict diet in terms of limiting foods of any sorts. I eat anything and everything in moderation! Day to day, I aim for a well-balanced diet with at least 80 per cent of my meals consisting of whole foods that are minimally processed, lots of micronutrients. I also enjoy the occasional drink or two every week.

Exercise: I lift weights at least thrice a week, ensure I hit 10,000 steps on the daily, and try to get in a run at least 1 to 2 times a week.

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: I have generally been relatively active, taking part in competitive team sports in my secondary and tertiary days. The only time where I've been completely sedentary would be during my last few years in university where academia took priority and a big chunk of my time.

It was well worth it though, ended up graduating top of my class. I quickly got back into fitness once I returned to Singapore.

What did you get into as you got older?

I got introduced to CrossFit and really got into the sport when I returned to Singapore and embarked on my first corporate role.

The camaraderie and competitive atmosphere drew me into eventually competing in my first CrossFit Open back in 2021.

How did you become a personal trainer (PT)?

I worked in two corporate roles prior to becoming a personal trainer. I chose this career because of my passion to connect and help women, as well as the wider general population, acquire as much knowledge as they can about safe, enjoyable and sustainable ways to incorporate fitness and nutrition in their ever-so-busy lives.

What do you like about being a trainer?

Cheesy as it is, it's the clients and journey with them that give the greatest satisfaction to my day-to-day role. Seeing confidence grow, seeing them mature in their own training journey, take charge of their lives and have the effects of what we do together spill outwardly into the rest of their lives.

When they come back and let you know how their lives and mindset have been changed for the better because of what you've done together – these are the intangibles, but most rewarding aspect of the job that will always keep me going.

Conversely, what are some of the challenges?

I would say the starting phase. It’s kind of like a relationship – you possess the chemistry, but chemistry isn’t enough to make it work. Both parties have to commit to do the necessary work and figure out best ways to compromise, in order to reach the ultimate shared goal in the most balanced manner.

Each individual is vastly different in training and also have starkly different responsibilities, commitments and lifestyle requirements. Finding something that works for both their training goals and lives, and managing expectations would be the most challenging part of the role.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

When I first entered the PT industry fully. Comparison is the thief of joy, yet it is not something that most people can easily avoid doing – in all aspects, not just physical comparison. I’ve just come to terms with the fact that ever individual has their own niche and goals.

Each person chooses to make their own decisions and sacrifices to be where they are, so focus on yourself and live your life and make decisions that are aligned and honest to what you say you want to be and achieve. The only person you have to answer to honestly at the end of every day is yourself.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Yes, but I’m working towards leaning out a little to potentially return to competing in 2024.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Being quite open about my workouts on social media yes, mostly from a minority of males who pass comments like they don’t like the look of muscular girls. Well to that, I say to each their own.

Every season of my life brought different fitness goals which tied in to allowing me to achieve a sustainable and healthy state of mind. I have a corporate and a PT job, a family, personal relationships and friendships to maintain; I have different phases in life where my goals and idea of happiness, as well as my capacity to handle stress and desire to push for growth changes.

It took me a long time to reach the state that I’m in where I fully own every shape my body is in, knowing full well that it is a result of the choices I make and goals I have at the time (be it to be really strict, fully relaxed, or to allow myself to enjoy the in-between state).

Cheesy as it sounds, the biggest lesson thus far has to be learning how to appreciate everything my body has done and will continue to do for me if I take care of my mental, as well as physical state, to the best of my ability.