Pushing himself to new limits: FutureMap's Parag Khanna

JUST over a year ago - after a few days per week overseas was replaced by a few webinars per day - a friend WhatsApp'd to say, "This must be your dream come true: You get to be everywhere at once!" True - though while we've been online everywhere, there's no better place to have been riding out the pandemic than right here at home.

Singapore ranks in the top tier of any index of livability, but here's the metric most studies miss: tennis courts per capita. I've been a tennis fanatic since I was about four years old. Ayesha says tennis is "the other woman" in our marriage. At least my vices are sporty!

During my weekly pilgrimage up to Turf City, local legend Roy Hobbs drills me until I melt into a puddle in the roasting heat, as does another Davis Cup veteran, Kunal Pawa, at the Singapore Swimming Club. For the past decade I've never been in the country consistently enough to compete in one of the seasonal Singapore Open tournaments. Now I'm gearing up for the next one - whenever that is.

The lockdown also provided an opportunity to immerse in other socially distanced sports, whether forcing myself to swim longer distances or take long bike rides along the ECP to Changi Airport. Don't tell me you don't miss the place!

While we haven't left the Little Red Dot, plenty of smart newcomers have arrived. My good friend Nir Eyal from New York, a scholar of discipline, introduced me to my newest obsession: barefoot running. Bad for Nike, but great for the glutes. I get my sweatiest work-outs alternating barefoot sprints and lunges on the nearby park connector or at the Kallang track by the National Stadium.

Tennis and running are immediately followed by another essential new ritual: ice baths. Dutch breathing guru Wim Hof guides our morning meditation and has also inspired my quest to soak in 5 deg C water without fearing frostbite.

A good stretch afterwards and I'm ready to spend the day chilling in the air-con and managing my far-flung global team.

Many of us have experienced days so over-scheduled with Zoom calls that one barely has time to go to the loo. I cannot solve that problem for you, but I do recommend using a standing desk to ward off the rigor mortis of excessive sitting.

For years, excessive travel also made weight training an inconsistent commitment, but the past year has been a significant corrective. If there's one person who can elevate you from one measly pull-up to 60 within 20 minutes, it's Bharat Khemani, founder of the athleisure brand BIA. A good trainer should have skin in the game, and Bharat pushes himself as hard as he does me, often training side by side.

Even when gyms recently closed, Bharat cleverly improvised. For example, if you can't access a 100 kg barbell at the gym for squats, you can toss on a 30 kg weight vest, grab a 12 kg kettlebell, and hoist 60 kg of minions. A bit unwieldy at times, but it does the trick.

For decades I've lived by the Cartesian-esque motto "I travel, therefore I am." But after the past year of discovering a new plane of work-life balance, I'm ambivalent about this September's return to relentless round-the-world flight binges. Perhaps, though, I'll appreciate that last flight that brings me home even more.

• Parag Khanna, 43, is founder & managing partner of FutureMap