How do you feel when people talk about exercise?

I spend a lot of time thinking about exercise, designing exercise programmes for people, writing about exercise, doing exercise but I must admit when someone talks about exercise my heart sinks just a little bit.

The silly thing is I enjoy being outdoors and active. I like to walk and cycle, kayak and ski but only on warm sunny days!

So why do I have a negative attitude to exercise?

Maybe its memories of school days. Lots of people found enforced games and PE lessons very difficult whether it was not being good at sports or having teenage body issues or just no interest in getting hot and sweaty or cold and wet! For the older generations ‘exercise’ was not part of their childhood, certainly not like it is for children these days were parents encourage them to swim, run, play football, dance, go to karate, cricket, gymnastics, horse-riding and on and on.

These activities were not available or not affordable on a regular basis when I was a child. Our activity was walking or riding a bike to get to where we needed to be! Maybe that is the same for you. If exercise and sport has not been part of your younger lifestyle no wonder exercising as you get older doesn’t excite you!

I think we would all agree that getting our youngsters outdoors, being active and eating well is good for them. If being active and eating well is good for young people -when does it stop being good for you?

I think the answer must be it never stops being good. No matter what your age.

If it’s good for us what stops us being active as we get older?

For me its all about having the choice and I blame both time and the weather!

I can always find something I’d rather do than do ‘my exercises’ so I ‘run out of time’ to fit them in. I have to put time into my diary and preferable agree to do it with someone else rather than do exercise on my own. Classes are great for this because you commit to the instructor and to yourself and the other people in the class that you will be there!

The weather forecast is my other excuse. If it looks bad, then any activity outdoors is put on hold! If I have to go out in bad weather I do but I choose not to go out just to exercise. Why is exercise such a low priority in my day? I think it’s because it’s difficult to recognise the benefits of exercise.

It takes time and repetition to see the changes in our body due to exercise and activity. Muscles take up to 12 weeks to get noticeably stronger and need an action plan to build them up. That takes commitment and effort and encouragement.

We are quick to encourage children and teenagers when they try new things or work hard at something. Are we as quick to encourage one another as we get older or do we offer safety advice? Be careful in case…I knew someone who….!

I think exercise is for everyone young and old. I think it is different for different people but if we want to stay healthy and string we need to make our bodies work.  Tracey Gendron wrote a book-Ageing Unmasked which has inspired me to  “Embrace the changes that happen in the second half of life and minimise any difficulties by keeping my body working at its best.

I hope this inspires you too.