A time to reprioritise and recharge for Uniqlo's Yuki Yamada

I LOVE the water. I take naturally to the watersports that are available in Singapore to keep fit, mostly swimming and kayaking. I used to surf too in Japan, and when I was working in America and later in Malaysia when I could travel to Indonesia to catch some waves. Singapore waters are calm and more suited to wakeboarding.

Last year's circuit breaker kicked me out of the water though - and into the hills, to explore the many trails of Singapore. I took on cycling as a new sport, and with my mountain bicycle and invaluable tips from the owner of the bike shop, I'd scour YouTube videos to learn everything I could find on mountain biking.

I've begun exploring the dirt trails, most regularly the 8.2 km stretch at Chestnut Nature Park. Happily, my kids and wife have also taken to cycling, and we go on cycling trips around Singapore from time to time.

Doing a sporting activity in the great outdoors is what I enjoy best. Rather than putting in the hours in an indoor gym or pounding the pavements, I much prefer working out in a natural environment, which relaxes me. I use the time to clear my mind, and reflect on the day's work, as many do, I'm sure. I find that being in nature, away from the work desk, refreshes my being and sharpens my mental focus.

As I tune into nature and forget about work, I'm often inspired and I do get new perspectives and good ideas about the business during exercise, ironically.

Even during crunch times, I'd find time to do a short hike at Fort Canning Park, and I especially enjoy working out in the evenings. Post exercise, I enjoy a hot shower and a simple meal, which completes a good experience. With increased awareness on health brought about by the pandemic, I tend to prioritise my leisure time towards health and achieving a sound work-life balance.

Marking a personal milestone

While I am not usually one for a regimented sporting routine, I decided to do something different in the second year we are in this pandemic.

I signed up for the Community Chest Vertical Marathon 2021 to mark my 20th year in Uniqlo and fast retailing. We have worked a lot with Community Chest, so I even managed to rally some staff to do this with me, so we can raise funds to give back to the community and enjoy the bonding process that comes naturally.

For the vertical marathon, my target is to achieve an 800 m climb every week. I've become more purposeful in my current fitness regime and have increased the frequency of my workouts to ensure that I can take on this challenge successfully; it requires a combination of both my mental and physical abilities from biking, hiking and watersports.

Most importantly, it requires discipline and commitment, and I'm greatly enjoying the pursuit of my elevation goals - slowly and steadily, step by step.

As our Uniqlo global brand ambassador Roger Federer puts it: "There is no way around hard work. Embrace it. You have to put in the hours because there's always something which you can improve."

This is the principle I put into my work, and now I'm putting it into fitness and sports. It's certainly the mindset I am taking on to make sure I scale up to my personal vertical marathon.

• Yuki Yamada, 43, is the chief executive officer at Uniqlo Singapore and Malaysia