Especially for busy people with no time to exercise, eat healthy or even have enough rest – this guidebook is for you. Filled with exercise and nutrition guide, and topped off with tips on better living. Take the 30-day fitness & health challenge!
Category Archives: LIfestyle
Post-Everest Base Camp Thoughts.
Having just got back from the mountains of Nepal a week ago, I have been in deep thought over some life philosophies and beliefs that have been ingrained since young and the external influences that have moulded who I am.
For one, I am extremely thankful for the good weather on most days and available hot meals during my trip up Mt Everest and the Himalayan ranges. The meals are regularly rice, noodles and boiled vegetables. They taste bland and we always needed salt and pepper to taste. Nevertheless, it gave me energy and fuel the daily walks AND kept me warm in the night.
One of the most important take-aways is : “It’s the journey that matters, not the destination“. Many days and nights of thoughts, chit chats, bickerings, ideas, positive support and checking-ins with one another…. made the trip fun and interesting. Love you guys for all the “crap” that we went through. THAT made all the difference. 🙂
I am also glad and relieved that the ClimbMax Seekers Team were safe and arrived home well and injury-free. All of us came down with a cough, sore throat or an ache somewhere. Nothing that a good laugh (eg. yak poop jokes) couldn’t cure. On this note, thank you Kim, for being you.
Finally, I am inspired by my parents, aged 63 & 64 years old, who were consistent throughout the treks and never once groused about the harsh conditions nor demands of the trek. Mom didn’t allow the porter to carry her backpack despite being advised to, due to the steepness and never-ending uphill. #proven
The past 2 weeks has been such a great and memorable journey. There is no part of it that I would like to change. From a team of partial strangers, we go to know one another better (positive thoughts, likes/dislikes and habits) and knew how to assist/support each other with words and actions.
Thank you all for your support, well-wishes and prayers that empowered us throughout our trip!
Special thanks goes out to KPT, Rosaleen, Zue, Adeline, Yuen Yee, James Lee and many more for all your support, gear, training/trekking advice in making this trip successful!
My parents & I
NEW! Personalized Training Programs are now available!
It’s always easier to reach fitness and health goals when you have someone on your side. While it may be your ambition to improve yourself, having a support and motivating factor behind you is key. It is time to start following a training program proven to work for general fitness buffs to professional athletes.
The individualized program is designed to aid you in meeting your fitness and sports goals. You will receive a customized training program for you to follow. Your training calendar will indicate which days to do which exercises. Simple and easy to follow. Each exercise is described with pictures.
We would like to proudly announce launch of our personalized training programs! Catered for most of your needs and fitness goals.
These programs are developed based on years of training expertise, certifications obtained from different courses and feedback from multiple clientele.
The different training programs available are:
- Strength Training
- Cardiovascular/RunningTraining
- Mobility & Stretching
- Rehab and Pain Management
Training Program fee:
First month + consultation fee: RM500
Subsequent month: RM 200/month
Nutrition advice will be provided upon request.
Duration of training programs:
- 3 months
- 6 months
- 1-year
For more information, kindly contact lyn@lynkong.com.
** Please consult your physician before starting any personal training programs.
Cortisol: The Stress Hormone
If you haven’t heard of cortisol, it’s about time that you started knowing what it is, how it affects your body and how you can reduce it.
Cortisol – What is it?
It is the stress hormone release in response to fear of stress by the adrenal glands as part of the fight-or-flight mechanism. There are 2 types of “stress” :
- eustress (good stress)
- distress(bad stress)
Both stresses release cortisol as part of the general adaptation syndrome. Once your body is alarmed to release cortisol, your body becomes ready for action – either fight or flight. If cortisol is not used/depleted, the cortisol levels will build up in your blood which may cause havoc in your brains/body.
Eustress:Â The “good stress” creates a carpe diem state which is often linked with a positive goal to attain. Upon attainment of the goal/objective, cortisol levels will return to normal levels.
Distress: Sometimes known as “free floating anxiety” doesn’t provide an exit route for the cortisol. This causes our bodies to sabotage itself  as the anti-stress mechanism backfires.
How does cortisol affect your body?
Here are some of the effects that you may have experienced:
- Increase weight gain
- Increase blood pressure
- Increases risk of depression/mental illness
- Lowers immune function
- Lowers bone density
- Lowers life expectancy
What can you do to reduce cortisol levels?
- Increase physical activity e.g. exercise, 10’000 steps
- Go for activities that allows you to “take it all off” – e.g. Muay Thai, vigorous fitness classes that give you a good sweat and pump.
- Fear increases cortisol levels. Regular physical activities will elevate moods and reduce fears via increasing self-confidence.
- You can also do a couple of short sessions in a day. Try parking further than usual, take the stairs and stretch/do 10 push ups every hour.
- Laughter and Fun
- Having fun and laughing reduces stress. Try to find a group of people whom you enjoy their company and that can make you laugh – without you feeling socially awkward.
- Music
- Listen to music that you enjoy – that fits the mood that you are in.
In conclusion, stress is something that we can handle by ourselves. Identify the triggers and take immediate action before cortisol builds up and destroys the rest of your day/week. Sometimes, we all just need to love ourselves a little bit more than usual by pampering and accepting ourselves.
Sleep. What’s Enough?
Most adults sleep at 12mn and wake up at about 630am or 7am. Or, they sleep at 2am, and wake up at 8 or 9 am… With an average of 6-7 hours of sleep, we get to work and carry out our daily activities.
Children between 12-18 years old will need 8.5-10 hours sleep. For those 18 years and above will need at least 7.5-9 hours of sleep. How would you know if the amount of sleep is enough?
Well, when you wake up and go along your usual work/routine, start to assess how you feel – are you feeling tired? Sleepy? Hungry? Sluggish? At what time? What did you need to do to perk yourself up again?
Once you know which duration of sleep works for you, stick with it. Ensure you do not oversleep by 30mins or an hour. Snoozes can cause you more harm than good in this case.
Everyone is different in their sleep needs to perform at optimal levels. If you have a friend who sleeps for only 5 hours whereas you need 8, that’s perfectly alright. Just as long as they have proper nutrition and happy with their daily performance!
How many hours do you sleep folks?
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Lyn Kong 