NSMEN CAN NOW CLEAR NS FIT SESSIONS FROM HOME
//Story by TEO JING TING //Photos by COURTESY OF MINDEF
Starting 12 Jul, Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) can attend their National Service Fitness Improvement Training (NS FIT) sessions from the convenience of their homes or even at their workplaces.
Conducted over video conferencing platform Zoom, the FIT@Home sessions will include a series of metabolic circuits and aerobic exercises. No additional equipment will be required.
Similar to other physically conducted NS FIT programmes, each FIT@Home session lasts about 60 to 75 minutes and is counted towards one session of NS FIT. The current NS FIT curriculum offers a variety of fitness activities which includes aerobic training, metabolic circuits and Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT)-specific training across 42 locations island-wide.
NSmen will be able to register for the FIT@Home sessions through the NS Portal from 7 Jul. Registered participants will receive a web link for the FIT@Home sessions via email.
Added flexibility & convenience
Speaking on the added convenience that FIT@Home brings to NSmen, Head NS Affairs Department Colonel Lim Han Yong said: "FIT@Home will complement the list of current NS FIT activities for NSmen to maintain active and healthy lifestyles and remain operationally ready.
"This virtual option aims to provide more flexibility and make it more convenient for NSmen to participate, while maintaining comparable standards of training and safety to other NS FIT activities."
There will be two FIT@Home sessions daily, except on Fridays when no training is conducted. The timeslots for the sessions are from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and 6.30pm to 7.30pm. A maximum of 45 NSmen participants can take part in each session.
Enrolled NSmen will receive the Zoom link for their selected training session in their registered email addresses. During the session, participants must ensure that their full names and last four characters of their NRIC are shown on the screen throughout the session. They are also required to switch on their cameras and be seen in frame at all times.
At least two fitness trainers from the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Fitness Conditioning Centres (FCCs) will be present at every session to monitor the safety of participants. They will also provide guidance to ensure that the participants perform up to standard.
Safety system in place
After participating in the FIT@Home trial session, Major (MAJ) (NS) Garick Bay found it comparable to the physical NS FIT sessions.
"The intensity of the exercise is self-controlled and it's up to you to push yourself. As long as you are moving, you are exercising and the trainers are always looking at you to monitor your form and ensure that you are doing the moves correctly," said the 39-year-old photographer and sports climbing coach.
As someone who conducts virtual fitness sessions for a Sporting Co-Curricular Activity in Temasek Polytechnic, MAJ (NS) Bay was also impressed with the safety measures put in place for FIT@Home.
Before each FIT@Home session, participants are required to fill up a safety declaration form which includes the address of the workout location and an emergency contact.
If the trainers spot any signs of potential injury, there is a three-level contact system in place. The trainers will first call the participant on their mobile phone. If he is uncontactable, they will call the emergency contact. If both are still uncontactable, the trainers will then call for an ambulance to the location of the workout.
During his trial session, MAJ (NS) Bay experienced this safety measure when he had to step out of his screen twice to attend to a customer. He was doing the exercise at his workplace.
"When I stepped out of the screen, the trainers texted me to ask if I was ok. So the safety measures in place are very real," said the Head Brigade Information Section from 9th Singapore Infantry Brigade.
"I really like that the fact that you need to state your workout location. The safety aspect is very well-covered."
