Shape Fit Girl 2019 finalist Wany Misban is living proof that you can be both small and mighty at the same time.
Noorzawany Bte Misban (@oneknee) – Wany, for short – had always been an active kid, playing competitive netball and bagging medals during sports day. Today, the certified pilates and gyrotonic instructor fills her schedule with 7km runs, weights training, HIIT workouts, gong meditation, yoga and her new favourite sport – Muay Thai. The adventurous 31-year-old once intentionally stopped her regular workouts for one year, relying only on resistance training using springs of pilates machines, to test if it was possible for her muscle tone to maintain. Conclusion: Yes, it was. Though she has a healthy diet on the whole, she does have a mega sweet tooth and a weakness for milk tea of every kind – from teh c to bubble tea. “Before I indulge, I’ll think if I had eaten well and trained enough to balance it out,” she says. Learn more about Wany through these five facts about her fitness journey.
(Also read: Do This 8-Minute Workout To Get Rid Of Flabby Arms)
I STARTED EXERCISING BECAUSE I WAS DETERMINED NEVER TO HAVE “BYE-BYE ARMS”. When I was 13, I was afraid of the arm jiggle phenomenon, so I did tons of push-ups, bicep curls, dips and focused a lot on arm workouts. Thankfully, they didn’t go to waste – my arms are definitely my favourite body part now!
I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I WAS TOO MUSCULAR AND MANLY. This happened when I was working on putting on more weight through building muscle. I have learnt to take comments like these as feedback because people are going to say whatever they want to say. If it feels important to me, I’ll work on it. My body is my temple and I’m the only one who lives in it. What’s most important is that I am healthy.
I’M LIKE CHILLI PADI. I may be petite but I have enough strength and power for explosive movements. Through this Shape Fit Girl 2019 campaign, I also hope to inspire others to have the confidence to try a task they deem difficult, and change their mindset from “cannot” to “can one lah, just got to practise!”
(Also read: What Doctors Want You To Know About Intermittent Fasting)
MY BODY FAT WAS 11% AT ONE POINT. I have dabbled with intermittent fasting, which definitely made my abs more defined, especially since it was coupled with consistent workouts and possibly because I was more dehydrated, in a way. But once I discovered that my body fat percentage was so low, I got scared and became concerned for my health, and stopped the fasting technique.
MY GOAL FOR 2019 IS TO DO A STEADY HANDSTAND HOLD. While I do have upper body strength, I lack mobility in my shoulders. To work on that, I’ve been going for yogasthenics classes, a hybrid of yoga and calisthenics. One of my good friends, Sara Wee, who is a yoga teacher herself, also tasks me exercises to do at home to improve my core strength and flexibility. She knows my strengths and weaknesses since we’ve been training together for a few years now.
