It’s Movember. That isn’t a misprint. Maybe you’ve heard of it or seen the influx of moustaches around this time of year. Movember is more than a facial hair trend. It’s a global movement that started in 2003 by Travis Garone and Luke Slattery. They realised the mo’ was a conversation generator and saw its potential to raise awareness on men’s health issues.
Since then, every November, the moustache has changed the face of men’s health through the Movember Foundation, which raises awareness and funds to build health programs globally, focusing on four key men’s health issues: mental health, prostate and testicular cancer, and physical inactivity.
In conjunction with Movember, I spoke with four Malaysian men on their movement journeys and the role Pilates has played.
Kharis Puthucheary, 29, a mechanical engineer, grew up liking sports. His university years brought lifestyle habits that took a toll on his physical health. He took a stand when he found himself easily winded after climbing two flights of stairs.
“I’ve seen the damage it’s done to others and I didn’t want to be one of those guys. I thought about my future, my significant other. That's when I started ultimate frisbee”
However, with contact sports being put on hold due to COVID-19 guidelines, he had to find an alternative: home workouts. That's when Kharis was introduced to Pilates by his wife, Jill.
"When I first heard about pilates, I thought it was for women. However, after trying a pilates workout online, I realized how challenging it was." I find some workouts to be aesthetic-driven or too compartmentalised. Whereas, Pilates focuses on the whole body. The first time was tiring, especially my core! All my muscles were working at the same time. You really have to move with control instead of speed.”
Looi Jo Wei, a pilates instructor at The Flow Studio, echoes pilates’ whole-body method and its focus on mind-body awareness. "It helps with understanding proper muscle isolation and engagement and is an excellent complement to other activities ie. weight training. It strengthens the core muscles and small muscle groups that are often overlooked.”
Tan Min Chik, 71, a retiree who enjoys golf, found golf's repetitive swinging left him with a favourable side. "Pilates has helped stretch, balance and maintain muscle tone. It's a good alternative to other methods, such as weight lifting, that can be risky at my age."
Dr Glenn Koleth, 35, a specialist doctor, has experienced inconsistency in his workouts. In the last few years, he’s found functional fitness methods with progressive overload as his go-to method. His consistency solidified when he noticed a large majority of his patients left immobile once bed-bound for only 3 days. “This caused me to decide, would this be me someday or would I have the reserves to recover?”
Koleth expanded his movement practice to include pilates. “I knew it was going to be a challenge and I wanted to give it its due respect. I tried a reformer pilates session and found that it increased my range of motion, specifically in my squats which I’ve always had difficulty with.”
With many working long hours from home, it’s imperative to prioritise movement. Puthucheary agrees, “It’s easy to be inactive in this season.” He’s since started a home exercise routine with his wife, Jill, and they both attend weekly community pilates sessions held online. “There’s a sense of accountability. I feel better knowing there’s something I look forward to. It’s a decision to do something for myself.”
