Exercise is Medicine

Watching the medical student, published medical researcher and accomplished athlete, one wonders how he finds enough time in a day to dedicate his energy to all that he undertakes. Ian shares that with strong discipline, ruthless prioritisation and time management, anyone can accomplish what they set their mind to.

When he had made the decision to participate in the Crossfit Games selection process, Ian realised that he would have to dedicate sufficient time to training twice a day. This saw him waking up as early as 4.30am to squeeze a gym session in the mornings before heading to the hospital for his clinical placements. Dog-tired from his already-long day, he would muster up the determination to hit the gym again for another session after work to ensure he was in good shape. His perseverance paid off when he was selected as Singapore’s male champion in July this year.

On marrying his two loves, Ian explains that he has found many overlaps between Crossfit and Medicine, “In the hospital, you have to constantly adapt to the ever-changing situations and manage the unexpected — from different hospital cultures to the different workstyles of each doctor and professor — this is akin to the unpredictable nature of Crossfit workouts. Through my Crossfit training, I’ve learnt the importance of adaptability, versatility and resilience.”

The influence of Crossfit on his medical career does not stop there; it has also developed his interest in becoming an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Beyond personal ambition, Ian hopes to see the day that Crossfit is promoted as a platform for people in the community to get active and healthy as he sees the potential of the sport in helping to combat chronic medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension.