Fitness Flexibility: My Transformative Tokyo Experience

In March 2020, while the U.K. prepared for lockdown, I embarked on a long-anticipated journey to Japan, unaware that it would profoundly reshape my perspective on fitness and living fully.

Let me take you through my transformative experience.

Since early 2018, after recovering from an injury, I had dedicated myself to fitness with extreme consistency.

My routine was rigorous: strength training five to six days a week and meticulous food tracking. This discipline brought immense progress, but it also meant that my life revolved heavily around fitness.

Upon arriving in Tokyo, the challenge of maintaining this strict regimen in a city known for its food delights suddenly felt like walking a tightrope.

Every corner of Tokyo, from the neon-lit streets of Shibuya to the serene paths of Ueno Park, offered an abundance of delicious temptations. Yet, I mostly resisted, fearing any deviation from my diet would derail my fitness progress.

This internal struggle reached its peak during an evening out in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo’s vibrant Korean town. I was there with a childhood friend from South London and her Japanese friends. The Izakaya, with its warm glow and inviting aromas, served a massive variety of traditional dishes.

I was excited but also nervous, worried about straying from my nutritional plan and losing my hard-earned fitness progress.

As the evening progressed, I didn’t allow myself to indulge in the steaming gyoza, crispy tempura, and chilled beer.

To onlookers, my restraint might have seemed like fantastic dedication. However, internally, I felt a growing realisation that my approach to fitness was too rigid and no longer suitable for this new chapter of my life.

Shortly after reflecting on that night, I understood that my time in Japan was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that required a more flexible approach to fitness. I accepted that this might slow my progress. Still, after two years of rigorous discipline, I had a solid foundation to maintain my fitness while embracing the joys of my new environment.

From April 2020 to June 2021, I lived entirely in the moment.

I still exercised regularly and often chose nutritious foods, but I no longer forbade myself from enjoying the food and drink Japan provided. This balance allowed me to make the most of my 15 months in Japan, a period I will always cherish.

My time there taught me an invaluable lesson, one I only grasped a few weeks into my move and now a cornerstone of my philosophy with my 1-2-1 online fitness members: fitness should complement your life, not take away from it.

Speak soon,

Leo