And reveals why she’s getting back in shape and other tips
This lockdown has given us time to do the things we have been putting off. And Nikki Gil is one of those moms who finally gets to keep the momentum going when it comes to maintaining a regular fitness routine. “I’ve been exercising on and off since forever but I only started making a real effort to be consistent at the start of the quarantine. It’s a combination of boredom and the need to manage anxiety and all of those other things,” says Nikki in an exclusive interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle.
Workout interrupted
Earlier today, she posted a time lapse video of her working out while her son continues to distract her from her daily routine. She recorded the whole thing to show her husband BJ that she was never alone. “Finn is just always there! I want to show him what Finn does every time he sees me getting ready to work out,” explains Nikki who reveals that this recording was her third attempt in finishing the session. “Ang kulit, like he was riding my back and playing games. So, there, I decided to record it because I found it funny.” What was meant to be a private video became a public and now-viral post. She thought it would be nice to share to other moms in the same predicament as her—struggling to get fit with an active preschooler around.
Dream of Abs
With the caption “Ang Pangarap kong Abs,” friends and followers couldn’t help but laugh at the rawness of the video. When asked why she thought of that line, she says, “Wala, it just reminded me of a teleserye title and maybe the realization of the possibility of achieving abs had been so distant. It’s really just a dream given the amount of time, effort, and attention that I’m able to give to working out, because of Finn. So, yes, it is a dream!”
Still, she tries her best to make this dream come true. “I’m trying to do 30 minutes a day, but that’s on a really good day. Sometimes, it’s just a 10-minute jump rope workout and that’s all I can do, and it’ll have to be enough,” she says of her fitness routine. Of course, we couldn’t resist asking what workout videos she would follow. “I’m super miss tipid, i just watch free workout videos," she says. "In fairness, there are a lot of good ones out there. I follow Heather Robertson. She’s very straightforward, not a lot of small talk which is something I really like. The thing with her, you have to have some kind of background in terms of working out like handling equipment because she’s medyo advanced. Obviously, she can’t be there to correct your form so you kind of have to know what you’re doing but other than that, I really enjoy her classes.”
She adds that her motivation to work out comes from watching all the other moms do it. She admits she’s still getting the hang of it, and shares these tips to fellow moms.
- Think of why you are doing this? Are you doing it because you enjoy it? For your mental health or just health in general? Are you doing it to lose weight? Is it to be a stronger mom so you can play with your kids? Just be clear as to why you’re doing it because that will make showing up so much easier for you if you know what you’re doing it for.
- Pick something that you like doing. What is it that you enjoy? Obviously, right now, we have limited venues and very limited exercises we can do at home—just pick something and stick with it.
- Don’t beat yourself too hard over it. I know the pressure to be able to do it all, yes, sometimes, it can be overwhelming, unfair, and impossible. I go through that myself but there are days when you are able to get in a good 30 to 40 minutes. That’s great, and, to me, that’s such a blessing. There are days that it’s just 10 minutes and that will have to be enough. And then, there are days I don’t feel like working out and that’s fine.
So do it for the right reason. My reason (for working out) is so I can fit into my old clothes para hindi na ako bibili ng bagong clothes.
She reiterates that it’s important to do the things you want to do, for the right reasons. Nikki ends with this last piece of advice, “Just try not to fall into the pressure to do it all. We all have different circumstances, setups, and body types. Really, comparison is a thief of joy. Just be you and we’ll figure it out together.”