From grounded flights to fitness studio closures: Stewardess turned F45 instructor isn't letting the pandemic get her down

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. And when a pandemic grinds your industry to a standstill, you find a new one — or at least, that's what Scoot stewardess Zoey Zuo did.

Faced with cancelled flights and an uncertain future, the 28-year-old made the switch from flying around the world to pumping out dumbbell flys as a fitness instructor in March 2020.

But the career switch wasn't solely because of the pandemic, she tells AsiaOne.

Well before the pandemic, her health had been suffering due to her disordered sleep and meal schedules, a side effect of her job as a stewardess, she says.

'I didn't know what my future would be like'

Despite getting to jet off to destinations such as Japan, Australia and Germany, her hectic schedule meant that there were times when she wouldn't be able to eat for an entire day.

The fatigue even affected her on her days off, Zoey, who was a stewardess for six years, laments.

"Every time after I fly, the only thing I want to do is to exercise. I really enjoy it as it allows me to release my stress, but I don't have energy to do so. Like, I would get headaches when I do it."

But that's not to say the pandemic didn't play a part at all. Like many other airlines, Scoot saw a huge dip in its passenger load in 2020.

As Zoey puts it, there were simply "no flights" for her.

"I was quite lost. I didn't know what my future would be like. Am I going to get retrenched? Are they just going to let me go?"

Making the switch

She began toying with the idea of pursuing her passion in fitness instead. So when she and her colleagues were asked if they were willing to go on no-pay leave in September 2020, Zoey did not hesitate to volunteer.

She had discovered F45, a 45-minute long workout focused on functional movements, in July 2019 and was scouted as an instructor in March 2020. Amid all the uncertainty at her day job, she'd also taken and passed some basic courses in anatomy and physiology in preparation to become a full-fledged instructor.

Although she has yet to resign from her stewardess job for "personal reasons", she is now spending most of her days coaching at F45, she says. 

While her pay is "about the same" as what she was drawing as a stewardess, life as a fitness instructor is much less stressful as she no longer has to deal with difficult passengers and early-morning flights, Zoe says. Not to mention, the more regular schedule has done wonders for both her physical and mental health.

Of course, making the switch to an entirely new career wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

Having gotten used to "speaking softly" to passengers and having limited interactions with them, one of her biggest challenges was speaking up and leading classes with about 16 to 18 students, she admits, adding that her shy personality didn't help.

"I didn't dare to conduct the class or speak in front of other members," says Zoey. "I was worried. Am I going to lose this job? Maybe I'm not good enough."

But she points to the encouraging community as one of the reasons she was able to overcome that hurdle.

Calling the gym a "safe space", Zoey says the positive feedback from her colleagues and students eventually helped her find her voice.

Taking the fitness studio closures in her stride

Just as she'd gotten settled into her new career, however, the pandemic threw her yet another curve ball.

Under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) regulations which prohibit strenuous exercise at indoor fitness studios, the studios she works at, F45 Downtown East Singapore and F45 Tampines West, have had to close temporarily.

"This has impacted the number of shifts I can coach as well as my income, but the wellbeing of our community is of utmost priority during this time," Zoey, who would typically coach around 30 classes per week before the new regulations, says candidly.

She's now keeping busy by conducting online and outdoor classes, and using the extra downtime to prepare for her upcoming fitness exams, she adds.

But despite the speed bumps in her career — both as a stewardess and a fitness instructor — due to Covid-19, she says she's simply grateful to have a job.

"I really appreciated that during this pandemic, the (F45) bosses offered me a job. At the same time, I'm really getting healthier.

"I'm sure a lot of people now are like me previously, where they feel lost. Just take this opportunity to reevaluate yourselves and find a new career or a new goal to pursue."

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Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly suggested that Zoey is no longer a Scoot stewardess.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com