Everyone knows that, when it comes to exercise and fitness, the outcome depends heavily on the input of effort. The more consistently you work, the greater the positive impact on your overall health and wellbeing.
But most of us are only thinking within the short term; our timeframes are decided by a myriad of commitments, interruptions and disruptions so we tend to seek rapid solutions to all our needs and activities. This can mean we only value targets achieved within weeks and months, rather than years.
More and more these days people seek instant payback in almost every interaction and this is now creeping into the health and fitness arena. The downside is that we have a tendency to avoid the more demanding exercises which maybe don’t yield rapid results, and instead focus on the easier “quick-fix” solutions with lesser beneficial impact. Greater value can wrongly be placed on the gains you SEE on the outside, rather than the strength and resilience built on the INSIDE (bigger biceps vs. improving heart and lung health, for example)
Concentrating on what brings immediate gratification means that the longer-term benefits which can accrue from other (perhaps less exciting) exercises are over-looked and the opportunity to cement health and fitness habits that are effective and sustainable could be missed.
In fact, the real value of taking on an exercise programme as part of your daily life is not simply improving your current physical and mental fitness, but also setting the foundations for your health and wellbeing in later life.
Research tells us that, if you are physically active throughout your life, you are more likely to maintain your strength as you get older, reducing risk of falls, trips and breaks. Add to that the major benefit of reducing the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease and various chronic diseases, then following a regular pattern of exercise for as long as you are able is good news all round. (Especially when you also consider the positive impact it can have on brain-health i.e. lower risk of dementia).
Ageing is part of life and comes with a gradual waning of our muscle strength and bone density from around the age of 30 years, which is why the earlier you start exercising on a regular basis, the greater the beneficial effect on your physical and mental health later on. The interesting thing is that, even if you don’t start until you are middle-aged, you can still reap the rewards when you reach retirement age or older. The effort was still worth it! And we’re not talking extreme fitness training; jogging, walking, swimming, cycling – even dancing etc. all contribute to your wellbeing in later life.
As a personal trainer I develop training and fitness programmes for adults of all ages and all levels of physical ability and mobility. I aim to provide variety and creativity in the activities which I prescribe. And, especially for my older clients I focus on improving and maintaining functional strength, flexibility and mobility.
Research and Acknowledgements
Personal Trainer 