Exercising at parks is not just about keeping fit for Panasonic staff member Timothy Ng but also a chance for the 61-year-old to appreciate the flora and fauna.

To live life is to treasure all around him and that is why his company's slogan "A better life, a better world" resonates strongly with him.

"I use my time to go for things that will add value to myself and the community," said Ng.

He volunteers with the Silver Generation Office to conduct weekly or twice-weekly house visits for the elderly, which restarted on Wednesday after they were stopped temporarily due to the pandemic. He also does grassroots work and visits old folks' homes with his church.

Despite his busy schedule, he makes the effort to stay active, running thrice a week when he can and opting to walk to the market instead of taking public transport.

He has also taken part in three virtual runs this year, including The Straits Times Virtual Run's 17.5km race, which he completed on Oct 14. The race period for the 17.5km category is from Oct 9 till today. The inaugural event is presented by Panasonic.

Ng split the distance across six runs - one with a friend and the other five alone.

He noted that completing a virtual run requires more discipline than traditional mass runs, so he kept himself motivated by looking forward to the meal or cold drink he would treat himself to after the run.

While he misses the atmosphere of traditional runs, he still enjoys the sense of achievement that comes after finishing virtual races.

"At the stadium, there were so many booths around, there were even people who dressed up, so the atmosphere was there. So when you do a virtual run, that's lacking," said Ng, who took part in last year's Straits Times Run.

"But for virtual runs, you can always do it with some friends or family, go to the park and enjoy the scenery. This is a pandemic, it's a different time but that doesn't mean it should keep us from exercising."