How I Finally Entered My "Fitness Era" at 36

Last July, Asics gathered women from across Southeast Asia for its second regional Women’s Retreat. Held at RXV Wellness Village in Thailand, the four-day program embodied the Japanese sportswear brand’s integrative philosophy on health. After all, did you know that ASICS is an acronym for the Latin expression Anima Sana In Corpore Sano—a sound mind in a sound body? To bring this to life, the brand equipped us with shoes and apparel to road test, spotlighting the Nagino collection: pieces designed by women, for women, to support mindful movement both on and off the mat.

It’s often said that the easiest way to entice a fashion girl is with the promise of a great outfit. Asics seems to agree. According to the brand’s 2022 State of Mind Index, women still exercise less than men—a gap the brand hopes to bridge by offering a sartorial confidence boost grounded in style, comfort, and functionality. The Nagino line is built to transition seamlessly from training to leisure, yet I couldn’t help but wonder: what if the retreat turned out to be all sport, no style? After all, I was joining Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo, Asian Games medallist Bhay Newberry, and Asics running coach Precious Que-Aguilar.

If there was any lingering skepticism about the retreat being a holistic experience rather than a punishing bootcamp, it quickly dissolved with our first official activity: a letting go ceremony. We were asked to write down beliefs that no longer served us on rice paper and watch the words vanish as the sheets were dipped in water. It set the tone perfectly—an invitation to vulnerability, to soften with ourselves and those around us, and to open up fully to the program ahead.

After checking in and dropping off our bags, we broke into teams and met our captains. At the first dinner, I found myself sandwiched between fitness influencers Nina Ash, who had flown in from the UK, and Malaysia’s Yap Ruiees—and my imposter syndrome kicked in at full speed. For context, Nina was a London Marathon pacer, while Ruiees’s grid was a seamless stream of treks, swims, and runs. But as the socials unfolded and conversations deepened, I realized that while these women were incredible, they were also refreshingly “normal.”

Fitness enthusiasts aren’t some rare, god-like superhumans who exist on a different plane. They binge viral TikTok trends, party with friends, sweat through workouts, and yes, even go back for seconds at the buffet. Accepting this truth is key to making your own fitness journey sustainable. After all, as James Clear writes in his best-selling book Atomic Habits,

If you shift the belief from “I’m not like those fitness girlies I see on Instagram” to “those fitness girlies I see on Instagram are actually normal—just like me,” their healthy behaviors suddenly feel easier to adopt. That’s because you’ve removed the self-imposed barrier between you and them. Cognitive dissonance happens when your actions and beliefs don’t align, but once you strip away the labels, you free your perceived self to follow through accordingly.

We welcomed our first morning with a sunrise run. Participants had the option to cover either three or five kilometers, and ever the motivator, Guinness World Record holder and Asics athlete Nathalie Dau encouraged the crowd: “If you’re on the border of deciding between three or five, go for five.” The route was a loop, she reasoned, so there was no risk of getting lost or left behind.

And when a woman who conquers a 1,000-kilometer run tells you to add two more, you listen. So off I went with a 5K goal—despite never having run a full 2K before. For someone who usually prefers to work out alone to a) avoid looking like an absolute fool in front of others, and b) keep from slowing down or burdening teammates, it was a milestone on multiple fronts.

It was meant to be a social run—where you could hold a conversation with your companions—but of course, that pace looks different for everyone. For me, it was humbling to watch what felt like Olympians glide past at full throttle. As much as I wanted to sprint to keep up, I had to consciously reel myself in, knowing my endurance wasn’t as strong and that conserving energy would give me the best chance of hitting my target distance.

At different points, Vietnamese model and host Misoa Kim Anh, Asics FrontRunner Praxy Preeti, and Asics Global Product Marketing Manager Maaya Fujita slowed down to run alongside me. Embarrassed, I told them they didn’t have to—but they insisted they didn’t mind and genuinely enjoyed the chit-chat. Their warmth, in those brief exchanges, chipped away at my subconscious prejudices and reminded me that even when I wasn’t at my best, I was still worthy of connection.

I stopped at 4K—1K more than I had intended, and 1K short of my goal. I was tired and out of breath, and even though I’d been doing jog-walks at home and objectively knew this was the fittest I’d ever been, I still felt out of shape. Strava, however, told a different story: a medal notification for a new personal record. It was a gratifying boost, and honestly, I wouldn’t have gotten there without the gentle encouragements to push just a little further. Unlike forceful instructions, we often respond more openly to quiet nudges that say:

This sentiment was further echoed by the roundtable session with Asics Frontrunners who flew from all over the globe. It was so inspiring to hear about women overcoming their own obstacles, whether it's a surgical operation, managing a growing household, and even personal and societal expectations, that you get fired up and believe that yeah, why not me? They show you possibilities of what could be, what challenges you could surmount, and what heights you could accomplish. 

Brawn and brains were tested throughout our stay with team relays and trivia games that had us holding squats and planks for what felt like forever. As tedious as those moments were, the schedule was thoughtfully designed to balance exertion with recovery. After all, true strength doesn’t just come from rigorous training—it also requires nourishment and restoration for both body and mind.

Alongside the resort’s wholesome, healthful menu, we immersed ourselves in mindfulness practices like crystal mandala making, Furoshiki eco-printing, and Sachiko needlepoint. Calming therapies, from a sound healing bath to hydrotherapy and massage, further deepened the sense of equilibrium, reminding us that wellness is as much about stillness as it is about sweat.

Needless to say, we were all recharged for the journey home, and I was raring to continue my path to fitness.