It’s about being fit enough to protect yourself, maintain your mobility and future-proof your body so you can improve your quality of life and prevent health problems. Regardless of age and gender, exercise is good.”

Aya, who is a CrossFit devotee, visits Los Angeles every year and says every time she comes home, she is determined to play her part in developing a plethora of fitness opportunities in Japan, like those found in the West Coast where the CrossFit craze started.

She would like to see more women walking Tokyo’s streets in workout gear, enjoying coffee while wearing a sports bra, leggings and sexy active wear without having to feel self-conscious about their exposed stomachs.

“We’re not quite there yet. Girls will get stared at if they dressed like me,” she admits.

“I almost feel like Japanese people are shy because they don’t exercise. Fitness improves your confidence. It’s not just physical health I’m talking about. It makes your brain healthy too.”

This year, Aya has set out to emulate her Instagram-famous hero and Aussie fitness guru Kayla Itsines by taking her show on the road and doing live workouts in hopes of getting the couch potatoes off their sofas and fighting the flab.

The tour will make stops in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka by the end of the year, and in 2019, she hopes to make it a monthly event. Not everyone is a health freak, and the Reebok brand ambassador knows she has to be the catalyst for her acolytes.

“The sooner you start, the better, because the hardest part is taking action,” Aya says.

“Try different kinds of exercise until you find the one. Yoga isn’t for everyone. Swimming isn’t for everyone. Walking is a start. Move on from walking, to jogging, to running. Don’t jump head-first into a strength program because you’re bound to fail.”

Fitness is about discipline, Aya says. It is difficult to create positive habits, but once you clear the roadblocks, the ride will be smooth, she explains.