In today’s exceptionally fast paced world, the word ‘healthy’, is often reduced to gym selfies, diet hacks, or a step count on a smartwatch. However, a podcast series hosted by AIA Insurance and PodHUB, encourages a different, much needed shift in perspective of what ‘healthy’ really means. The podcast is part of AIA Insurance’s ‘Rethink Healthy’ campaign, which aims to change the way people think about and see their health. It is designed to help people recognise the various paths of physical, mental, financial and environmental health and their value.
The debut episode of the podcast featured husband and wife duo, Malaka and Shalini Rubasinghe, where we explored how health can be redefined in ways that are personal, sustainable and empowering.
Malaka and Shalini are by no means full-time influencers or wellness coaches, rather they are business owners, parents, and partners. Together, they manage Singhe Furniture, a family-owned enterprise established in 1975, as well as running Wave Bolgoda by Singhe, a boutique hotel and wellness escape, which was formerly a jet-ski training centre. They both have full lives, however within that fullness, is a quiet and intentional commitment to wellness. To Malaka and Shalini, health is not about trends or aesthetics, it’s about how well one moves, how calm the mind is, and how long one can stay active.
One of the most powerful elements in their story is how Malaka was able to defeat his fear and turn it into a strength. He was once afraid of water, and he went on to not only beat it, but master it, becoming the country’s first Level 2 certified Jet-ski trainer. This is a powerful example of how embracing a vulnerability or fear can lead to growth on a personal and entrepreneurial level.
Malaka and Shalini’s approach to life is deeply grounded in maintaining a healthy daily routine. They run their businesses, raise their children, make time for dates to the gym, time for themselves during the week. Sundays are fun days which they spend with their family. Their routine includes avoiding sugar since age 17, parking further away to increase walking distance, swimming with their children and even setting aside cheat days. The flexibility, consistency and sustainability of their lifestyle makes functionality a priority, providing them with the ability to live full lives, actively parent their children, and work energetically in the future.
Their message to professionals and parents is as refreshing as it is realistic – do not aim for perfection, aim for motion. Start small, do ten push ups a day, or go for a 15-minute walk. Shalini herself urged mothers and homemakers to reclaim time for both mental and physical wellbeing as a necessity and not a luxury.
The heart of the podcast’s debut episode lies in the simple yet powerful idea, that health does not need to be a sacrifice or side project, it could be the foundation that strengthens every other aspect of life. Malaka and Shalini are shining examples of the fact that people don’t have to choose between their careers, family life and personal health. Because with the right intention, alignment and motivation it is more than possible to achieve all three.
Malaka and Shalini’s story is one of many that will be shared as part of the Rethink Healthy podcast. It is a series dedicated to highlighting the inspiring stories of those who are truly redefining what it means to be healthy in today’s hectic world. Through meaningful conversations and real-life experiences, the podcast is a platform that offers a new perspective of health, one that values balance over burnout, intention over intensity and progress over perfection.
