For a while, kickboxing became my identity, bringing with it some unbelievable experience and competitions that led to a national title. I ate, slept and breathed it – living my life in such a way that was almost “optimised” for it. Why wouldn’t you, when something brings you that much joy?

When the pandemic led to the Championships being cancelled and closed boxing gyms, I had no choice but to slow down for a bit – just like I did after an accident in 2019 put me out of action for a few months. The difference was, this time, my break from the ring would be for over a year. Long enough to make me reflect on my attitude towards fitness for life.

I attempted to cling onto my pre-lockdown fitness (and some semblance of control in a pandemic) by going on longer runs than usual and throwing myself into YouTube HIIT classes. This intense overtraining led me to take a month off running in January with a hip injury. But then it seems I wasn’t the only one to fall victim of overtraining in lockdown.

Exercise moderation: “How I learned to stop overdoing my training”