In less than a month, it’ll be less than a year since the MCO in Malaysia began. So much has changed during this period, and staying indoors almost 95% of the time does things to your mind. So I ended up being physically active to pass the time and help my mental health. This has also led to me buying quite a bit of fitness related items.
I talk a lot about my fitness experiences on this blog because it made such a big impact for me. The progress has been rewarding, especially since I hit 89kg after years of being over 90kg!
But oh boy, talking about how much I spent on fitness related items sure feels pretty daunting.
I know some people have spent more than me, or they spent on things that they ended up not using. On the bright side, with the exception of certain items (more on this later), I’m still using most of the fitness related items I bought to aid me in my fitness journey.
On the other hand, phew, I sure bought a lot of these fitness related items with the sole purpose of being more active. Yup, these items need to be all about keeping me active.
I’ll share how much I actually spent in the end, while noting the discounts I got as well. But first let me share items that I already had or were gifted to me.
Items I already Had Before MCO
I already had most of the clothing for working out, and my parents had noted my increased activity before MCO (as I was taking fitness classes before). So during Christmas and even my birthday, they gifted me workout clothes, a sports bra and even a yoga mat.
I did buy another sports bra months before MCO, which I bought from Decathlon for RM25 too. But I am highly contemplating buying a better sports bra at some point as the support is mediocre for workouts like HIIT with jumping or high impact moves. The better support would help a lot. But I instead chose to focus on buying other items instead. Well, expect me to put this under my next expenditure soon enough.
Other fitness related items I already had include sports shoes and a smartwatch that could monitor my fitness. I’m using the Apple Watch Series 5 and it was a godsend to me during the MCO. On top of monitoring my fitness levels, it would also alert me of messages and calls as I had a tendency of keeping my phone on silent and putting it in odd places to the point that I forget to check.
Lastly, I got the Huawei Smart Scale for free in a past event and I use that to keep track of my weight, as well as fat percentage and muscle mass. I recommend getting this too if you’re keen to lose weight.
This was roughly the fitness related items I had at home, ready to use. Speaking of which, I suppose I should share details on my fitness classes. It may not be a fitness item, but still play a key role in why I bought fitness items in the first place. Plus it’s good to let people know as well, though I won’t count this in my total.
Fitness Classes – RM140/month
I know in this age it would make more sense to save money and NOT spend on classes. After all, free workout YouTube videos exist and no doubt, I do that at times too!
But fitness classes keep me in check, likely due to my Obliger personality. They give me something to look forward to, and having a trainer calling my name to push myself harder during the workout, or even check my form, makes such a difference. Considering how much I have changed doing these classes, I say it’s a worthy investment.
My trainer is Wana from WanaFit and she has classes every day from Monday to Friday. Each day offers a different workout. The schedule looks like this now:
- Monday – HIIT
- Tuesday – Abs & Core
- Wednesday – Upper Body Strength Training
- Thursday – Lower Body Strength Training
- Friday – Full Body Workout
Doing all these classes gives me the all rounded training I need in my fitness journey. HIIT and Fully Body giving me a full cardio workout, Abs and Core to strengthen my body, and the Strength Training classes to build and maintain my muscle mass.
Before MCO I used to do these workouts at her studio, where I could utilise her equipment like weights for the strength training class. But now I needed to get my own weights. And thus, my first fitness related items spending came.
Weights Equipment (30kg) – RM85.30
Working on my muscle mass aka Strength Training is one of my favourite classes. Sure, it hurts as hell and I get sore for days after. But seeing how toned my body became after makes it all worth it.
Before online classes began, I found the best deal on Lazada for a set of convertible 30kg weights. Everyone I spoke to at the time told me that I definitely got it at the best price. The weights cost RM61 with a delivery of RM24.30. And yes, the delivery is expensive but take note that you will need a lorry to transport these weights to your home so the high cost of delivery makes sense.
As they’re convertible weights, I could easily adjust the weights with the given plates to what I need and level up when ready. So I could start with a set of 4kg weights and level up to 5kg or 6kg eventually. If you think the remaining plates were collecting dust, some workouts require individual plates so it’s all good.
Weights Equipment (10kg) – RM65
Unfortunately, even though I already had such a great set of weights, I had to buy more weights. What happened was that I moved to Perak with my husband when another MCO was announced back in October 2020. Due to the short notice, I couldn’t bring 30kg of weights with me, or even any of my workout equipment including my yoga mat.
When classes began again but interstate travel wasn’t allowed, I didn’t have any weights at all! So I ended up buying a set of 5kg weights as it was available on the shelves in a nearby Tesco. In a sense, it’s not a complete waste as at least these weights are easier to handle compared to the 30kg set of plates that tend to get loose.
Thankfully, during a quick trip back home in December, I managed to bring some of my original weights back to Perak. So now my workout sets during Strength Training look like this:
In the end, I’m still using most of the weights I bought so I don’t consider any of the weights I bought as a loss. It’s just that I didn’t expect to spend more after buying the 30kg set and I’m still a little upset about that haha.
Yoga Mat (Mr. DIY) – RM25
As mentioned earlier, I didn’t bring the yoga mat I had at home and was now forced to buy a new one ASAP before classes began. As such, I stopped at Mr DIY and bought a yoga mat from there.
I regret it. Within barely 2 months of use, it wore out too fast due to my high impact workouts. Small pieces of it would be left behind after every workout! I knew I had to buy a better yoga mat and I should pay more for a good quality one. But it was worrying because the good ones cost over RM100!
Yoga Mat (Shopee) – RM46.61
Thankfully, a good yoga mat at a good price was available on Shopee. The one I found cost RM57 and upon getting a special voucher, I managed to get it at RM46.61.
It’s the best yoga mat I had ever gotten. It’s even better than the ones my parents gifted me! It was really thick and soft enough to handle all my high impact workouts and water resistance was great. The size was a lot bigger too! No regrets.
Ring Fit – RM276.28
I know what you’re thinking: Do video games count under fitness related items?? In this case, yes! As a gamer who owns the Nintendo Switch, and now a fitness enthusiast, I couldn’t resist getting these games because they’re all about moving your body. And any excuse to keep active counts to me.
They’re especially useful to stay active on the days I skip classes or have none like the weekends. Another added bonus is that now my husband can use them too for his own fitness journey! Being a gamer himself, it works out.
I received some Christmas money and I knew the Ring Fit would be the best gift to get. Ring Fits usually cost around RM300 and more. But I remember it going up to RM1000 when MCO first began!
I had already budgeted to spend around RM300 for the Ring Fit. But of all the luck I saw a post on the Nintendo Malaysia community that there’s a Ring Fit set being sold for around RM270 on Qoo10 for a limited time!
It was actually a bit of a challenge to get it at that price as it depended on stock availability. But through sheer luck, I got it at around said price with free shipping too! I say luck because not long after I made the purchase it shot back up to above RM300. To say I was happy to get it at such a great deal would be an understatement.
Just Dance 2021 – RM108
A few weeks later, I saw that the game Just Dance 2021 was on sale for the Nintendo Switch. Now those who know me know I’m also a fan of the Just Dance series, and own some games in past consoles. I told myself to settle. I was getting the Ring Fit after all! But a week later, I remember feeling sad that I didn’t get it. Realising it was still on my mind, I knew I should get the game.
I bought the game through the Nintendo Eshop at USD$29.99 (normally priced at USD$49.99). Under normal circumstances it would cost RM120 and above. But I bought a USD$30 Eshop card on Shopee for just RM108 (originally RM115 but I managed to use some extra vouchers) and as such saved more than RM12.
Now my husband has a PS4 and you can get Just Dance 2021 much cheaper there (I think I saw it below RM100 at one point). But I reasoned with him that he doesn’t have the PS Camera or the Move motion controller (additional expenses). And though we could use our smartphones instead to play the game, it’s not as comfortable or safe to use. So best to stick to the Switch instead. It’s still a better deal all around.
I am still using these games at least once a week (I am especially loving Just Dance 2021). Based on my current workout streak record, it was well worth it.
Resistance Band – RM19.59
I’ve decided to take my fitness to the next level by getting resistance bands. My fellow Wanarangers (which we call ourselves) have been using it in some workouts; like squats, donkey kicks, and even in some lower body strength training. It honestly makes my normal exercise more tiring, which is a welcome challenge! If it challenges my muscles to do better, it works for me.
I managed to buy it on Shopee at RM19.59 thanks to some extra vouchers, making it a great price overall.
Total Spent (except classes) – RM625.78
So all in all, I have spent RM625.78 on my fitness journey so far, sans the classes! As mentioned earlier, I won’t count classes as they’re not fitness related items. Plus they’re a little tricky to calculate as there were about 3 months of no classes as, at the time, my trainer was giving birth.
The biggest expenditure was undoubtedly the games I bought, but they’re a one time purchase in comparison to my fitness class and can be used by my husband too. So they still have good value in the long run.
With the exception of one or two fitness related items (I’m still torn about the pair of 5kg weights), I don’t regret spending on any of these as I have definitely utilised them well. Even my classes were not a waste as I attended almost all of them and have achieved significant weight loss and fitness goals.
I mentioned this earlier as well that I do intend to spend more, especially on Sports Bras as I could use the extra support and just more bras overall. I’m looking around RM70 and under. But it’s not urgent at the moment, so I’ll just keep an eye out for more great deals while saving money for it.
I know sharing how much I spent is scary, especially now that I see the full total! But I have to reason with myself that this is in the span of a year, and I have achieved a lot of changes during this time. These changes are what makes spending the money worth it, as it’s a sign that I’ve spent money on investing in my most important asset; myself.
I’m a lot more confident now compared to before, and have even successfully cut off antidepressants during this period! All in all, there’s so many wins that I find it completely worth it.
Which is why it’s important to remember: Even if you can’t change the world, you could at least change yourself.
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