We all know what a struggle it can be to begin one’s fitness journey, all the more so when you’re getting older.
But 58-year-old Shi Qing Yuan hopes to inspire others with his story and show that it’s never too late to become healthier.
Plagued with health and physical problems like borderline hypertension and back problems, Mr Shi decided to take charge of his own health.
He shared with the Singapore Hikers Facebook group that he took up jogging as a way to be healthier.
And by 2019, he had not only completed a half marathon but had also lost around 17kg.
Now he rarely suffers from his physical ailments anymore.
Back in 2016, as a 53-year-old, Mr Shi was suffering from borderline hypertension and weight gain.
He also had knee and back pains from sciatica — which doctors told him would require spinal surgery to fix.
Mr Shi was also told he would need lifelong medication to keep his blood pressure in check.
This was a turning point for him, who realised that his health was entirely in his own hands.
That was when he began embarking on his fitness journey.
First, Mr Shi started walking to lose weight.
Just 50 days later, he had already lost 10kg. This motivated him to start jogging.
As he jogged and walked longer distances, he found that his knee and back pain were starting to ease up.
By 2018, Mr Shi was running up to 10 to 12km at a go.
As his fitness journey progressed, he signed up for his maiden half marathon — at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2018.
Completing the 21km marathon further motivated him to keep going and get stronger.
At 2019, Mr Shi weighed in at 86kg, having dropped a whopping 17kg since he started running.
Not only that, his blood pressure was back at a normal level and he hardly ever got pains in his knees and back anymore.
Mr Shi admits that the journey hasn’t all been smooth sailing, he had suffered injuries along the way.
But it also taught him to work on healing through proper rehabilitation so he could continue running.
Now, countless races later, Mr Shi seems to feel healthier and better about his health than ever before.
Today, Mr Shi boasts an impressive collection of medals from all the races and marathons he has taken part in.
But ultimately, the journey has shown him that health is our greatest wealth and it’s all in our hands.
The 58-year-old now hopes that his story can inspire others, showing them that it’s never too late to get healthy, even if one is more advanced in age.
Mr Shi’s achievements and progress in just 3 years is no small feat.
Kudos to him for his continued commitment to his health and fitness journey.
We certainly hope his story and the story of many others like him will inspire others to begin their own fitness journey too.
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Featured image courtesy of Shi Qing Yuan.
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