Is exercising a natural part of your day? Do you schedule in spin classes, gym sessions, 5k runs or a dedicated time for walking, either with or without a dog?
Human beings are meant to use our bodies. The structure of our bodies, with a strong skeleton, muscle, tendons, an excellent oxygen carrying circulatory system served by a pumping heart, means that the component parts yearn to work together to move us round. The more we use our bodies for the purpose of activity and movement, the better we maintain these structures. We remind our limbs and our cardiovascular system what they developed to do. There is a lot in the adage ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’. People who have a more sedentary lifestyle become weaker over time and find it more difficult when faced with any exertion.
It is estimated that almost 50% of UK adults do not engage with the recommended UK guidelines for activity and exercise, which are:
- aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still
- do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week
- reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.
The weekly activity target can be achieved by several short sessions of very vigorous intensity activity and/or a mix of moderate, vigorous and very vigorous intensity activity.
Research shows how beneficial exercising and being active is for humans of all ages, from childhood through to seniority. The NHS calls it ‘the miracle cure we’ve always had’. Their website states that exercising alone reduces the risk of developing chronic health problems as you age, for example, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. It acts to improve your mental health and guards against developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Use the link to the NHS website below for more detail.
Knowing this, what stops us committing to exercise? Research has shown that the three top reasons are lack of motivation, funds and time. There is a psychological element to this; that exercise is difficult, painful, embarrassing and that we are no good at it. Who is good at anything when they start? Why do we expect to excel at any exercise from the beginning? Simply accepting that it will take time to build up expertise and stamina is a vital first step to address low motivation. The exercise can be little to start with, for example, simply standing up during each advertisement break while watching TV or parking further away at the supermarket.
If you follow the links to the articles below, they explore the reasons for not committing to starting a basic exercise plan and how to address these.
Exercise is a formidable health promoting tool. The advice is we should keep it up when we have underlying health problems and as we get older; it helps improve our health status and slows up the ageing process. NHS health promotion consultant, Dr Nick Cavill, writes ‘If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented’; in addition to this, humans can engage in it without the potentially serious side-effects that medication entails.
Now is the time to get moving!
Exercise; NHS Website
Benefits of Exercise; NHS Website
‘Why We Should Exercise – And Why We Don’t’; on Harvard Health
’10 Reasons You Don’t Exercise’ by Paige Waehner on verywellfit.com
‘Reasons Why People Don’t Exercise’ by Tyler Spraul on exercise.com
‘The Real Reason We Don’t Exercise’ by Sherry Pagoto on Psychology Today
’14 Reasons Fat People Don’t Exercise’ by Karen Corbel on her blog
‘Why I don’t Exercise…my inner work’ by Sabrine Matoussi on YouTube
‘8 rut-busting tips to improve your fitness routine during coronavirus pandemic’ by Jane Symons on the Mirror website
‘Walking to work ‘significantly improves health’ on covermedia
‘It’s about ability, not age, when deciding what exercise to do’ by Bradley Elliott on The Independent website
‘Can You Train Your Metabolism To Work Faster?’ on BBC website