LOLZLetter 268 | Finding Balance: Juggling Fitness, Work, and Life
With Chloe an in-house lawyer who lives in Singapore
Welcome,
Happy April Fools Day. No jokes in the newsletter from me today…maybe just a couple of memes. This week continues on the newsletter series of balancing working out and working. In case you missed it, last we heard from Aquene, an information manager and librarian in Ohio. Today you'll hear from Chloe, an in-house lawyer who lives in Singapore.
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Onto the newsletter with Chloe an in-house lawyer who lives in Singapore:
What are your usual work hours?
Officially, my work hours are 8:30 am to 6:00 pm (5:30 pm on Fridays). However, we get some flexibility, so it's more like 9:30 am to 5:30 pm most days. The official workplace policy is three days in the office and two days working from home. A few times a year, I'll have to work on the weekend, usually about 5-6 hours on a Saturday, but it's rare.
Do you have a demanding job? On your feet? Sitting all day?
It's a desk job!
What benefits does your job have that not all jobs may have?
The aforementioned flexibility! We also have a gym in the building (it's got about 7 treadmills, give or take 2 more or so, and a great set of machines and weights), plus showers. My workplace is also across the road from a mall with a spin studio and about a 10-minute walk from my usual yoga studio.
Are you training for something right now?
Nope. Funny enough, the last time I trained for something was during the pandemic. My coach/running club held small races. I was probably in the best shape of my life and couldn't wait for there to be proper races again.
When do you like to work out? Are there sacrifices you make to do that?
It is warm here 365 days of the year, so I generally like to get out in the mornings. After the post-pandemic burnout, I've gotten better at prioritizing sleep and rest. These days I go for a lunchtime spin class or run on the treadmill in the gym in my office building if I can't wake up. Sometimes, if I planned ahead and did food prep, I'll head out in the evening for an hour or so. I do some form of exercise about 5-6 days a week, at least 3 days of cardio. My biggest sacrifices currently are probably a consistently clean house, dishes, and laundry, and going to the less expensive supermarket.
How do you make time for other things like grocery shopping? Cleaning? Etc.
We get part-time help to clean for 3 hours once a week (it's not prohibitively expensive here, and in fact, lots of people have live-in help for that reason), so that helps. I also can't afford to fall TOO behind on laundry, though, because my kids need clean school uniforms, so the fear of them going to school in sweaty and crumpled clothes motivates me to get the laundry done regularly.
How do you make time for other things with working out? Strength? Core? Stretching?
In addition to there being a yoga studio about a ten-minute walk from my workplace, there's also a Pilates studio a 20-minute walk/5-minute drive from my house. That's where I go for strength training (they also offer weights programmes) and Pilates.
Is your family supportive of your working out?
My husband is, because he's of the view that working out is necessary for a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and when he's stressed there's nothing a good run or weights session can't fix. But his support is subject to my not getting obsessed over times and data. He tolerated my obsession with my GPS watch and Strava through the pandemic, but after my burn-out, it became a big no-no. He's also said that if I ever train for a race again (I'm thinking of a marathon for my 40th in a couple of years), I have to commit to eating properly. There's a lot to unpack there, haha, but long story short - my husband is supportive, and my kids understand that I need time to myself to work out.
What tips do you have for someone trying to make time for working out and working?
Be realistic about what you can and can't do. Accept that you can't do everything, and sometimes the objective/goal is enjoying exercise and movement instead of chasing PBs.
Anything else you want to add?
I just wanted to add that the infrastructure here is really conducive to working out. The Government made sure there are ample running paths, parks, and exercise corners in each neighborhood. It's also really safe here, and totally possible for a woman to go running at 11 pm solo, so long as you stick to the main roads - which are very well-lit and because Singapore is so small, there's still a pretty decent amount of traffic at that hour. The last bus stops at around 12:45-1 am. Being able to run safely late at night helped in my early years in a law firm - I used to get out there after getting home at 10:30 pm.
Thank you Chloe for sharing your story and thank you UCAN for sponsoring this week.
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