For Saison Capital's Qin En Looi, building a tribe starts with inspired fitness

BEATEN. That was how I felt the first time I walked out of the studio after my inaugural group fitness class 5 years ago.

My body was not the only thing that hurt - my ego too. The 55-minute Les Mills Bodypump class focused on light weights and high repetitions, targeting each muscle group for 5 to 6 minutes continuously. "I could totally do that," I thought to myself at the start. As my arms and legs ached track after track, what kept me going was the tribe around me - the instructor and fellow classmates.

Before discovering group fitness, I hated sports and exercise. The discomfort was real, and my motor-coordination skills weren't up to scratch. I could hardly dribble a ball without it rolling too far ahead of me or keep a jog for more than 10 minutes. It was only when I started dating my wife, Gladys, that I first stepped into the gym. In her I found an avid supporter who planned weekend dates in the form of group fitness classes.