Why are we so resistant?  You’re bound to hear a collective groan when there’s any mention of exercise. Funny really, when most people tell you they feel fantastic if they exercise regularly. 

What is Exercise?

Rows of sweaty bodies, running endlessly to nowhere, bored out of their brains, on treadmills.  Could this image be the source of some of that resistance that we have towards exercise? But it doesn’t have to be like that.

Exercise is really anything that makes the moving parts of our bodies move.  Not at all frightening.  When you make a fist, you’re exercising the muscles of your hand. It can be very simple, and doesn’t have to take a lot of time, nor is it necessary to feel drained and sore afterwards.

Whyis it Important?

Our bodies are designed to move quite vigorously, and without regular movement, nothing works properly.   Exercise used to be an integral part of life: chasing down dinner, digging for vegetables or climbing trees for fruit, gave us plenty of activity, and used most of our muscles.  Driving to work, sitting at a computer all day, then pushing the button on the microwave just doesn’t give us the same effects. So we need to add some variety to our movement.

Purpose of Exercise

We think exercise is all about looking and feeling good.  While that is certainly one outcome, it’s not the main purpose at all. To work efficiently many of the important systems of the body rely on movement.

• The lymphatic system has no pump, and relies on muscle movement to circulate the lymph fluid which carries waste away from the cells.
  
  
• Joints rely on movement to get lubricated; without it, they become stiff and sore, and in time we lose our ability to bend, twist or even walk.
  
  
• The brain relies on movement in muscles to keep the nerves sending messages back and forth between it and all parts of the body.  Without your brain telling you, you won’t know how to lift one foot after the other when you walk or how to swat the fly on your nose.
  
  
• Our skeleton is held together by lots of muscles, tendons and ligaments.  When healthy and toned,  they keep the bones in their appointed places, and we stay upright. Without that support, we’d fall in a heap or blow over in a stiff breeze.

Who Should Exercise?

There are very few excuses for not exercising, particularly when good quality stretch is included.   We all need it.  The barest minimum daily requirement is about 30 minutes of moderate exercise, that raises your heart rate just a bit.  But the whole of your body needs to move, so while a stroll in the sun is great (you’ll top up your vitamin D) you’ll need to add something to use your upper body too. The more vigorous the exercise, in general the better it is, but anything is better than nothing.

Stiff joints get new life, depression is helped, osteoporosis is prevented, and you’re less likely to get diabetes.   It also slows the slide towards dementia. And that’s just the start. The benefits keep coming. You’ll have more energy, sleep better and look great.

What Sort of Exercise?

• Yoga is perfect. It’s intelligent exercise, and it uses every part of you, including your mind. You can do it at your own level.
  
  
• Dancing is wonderful, and has so many side benefits. You might end up with a social life as well.
  
  
• Take up a sport – tennis, soccer, martial arts; anything  weight-bearing.
  
  
• Gardening is great so long as you do a bit more than pull an occasional weed.
  
  
• Join a gym with classes to suit your level. Start gently, then for great results get serious with a personal trainer. You can have fun and make new friends.
  
  
• If all else fails - housework.  It’s actually quite a good workout, and the bonus is a sparkling clean house.

We need to be serious about adding regular exercise into our lives.  Our bodies rely on it to function well.  It’s shown to reduce the risk of all types of serious disease, and we’re guaranteed the pay-off  of looking and feeling fantastic.

Find a personal trainer in your area to get help with your exercise programme.