Regular exercise is paramount to making a commitment to an active and healthy lifestyle. In the 21st century there is increasing numbers of sedentary occupations and this makes regular organized exercise vital in maintaining health as we age. I quite like the phrase: ‘It is better to be fit and fat than skinny and unfit.’ Having cardiovascular fitness is necessary to protect from emerging metabolic and cardiovascular disease that is budding from sedentary lifestyles. Sitting is the new smoking after all, and with that fitness those extra kilos should drop as you increase lean muscle that drives metabolism at rest. Having said all this, it is important to find the exercise modalities that work for you. Consistency is important so if you choose a modality that is something that you are unlikely to tolerate then it is not a realistic choice. If you are new to exercise or you have been out of the game for a while it is important not to try and make up for lost time in the initial stages. The body adapts to exercise so what at first is difficult may become easy, but you must give the body time to adapt. The exercising body needs an exercise stimulus, rest and nutrition to adapt and develop fitness and strength. If there is an imbalance in these three elements then you can cause injury and disrupt energy levels that will carry on to other facets of life. Furthermore, with each type of exercise modality there is usually specific management strategies for maintaining balance in the body. For example, if you were to commence a running routine then stretching would be recommended to maintain muscle length. Tight hip musculature can result in other injuries such as knee injuries and lower back pain. Managing the exercising body is a topic that I will explore another day. Sometimes making the commitment to a new lifestyle can be intimidating and this prevents us from changing our lives for the better. While the 21st century has brought with it a multitude of sedentary occupations it has also seen research into exercise accelerate and the emergence of the exercise physiologist whom can take the intimidation out of exercising.
