5 – Exercise

This blog is easy for me to write as I am an exercise addict. I always have been and I am convinced it has helped me maintain my high energy levels and I can still do cartwheels and the splits! Not bad at 52. When I do not exercise I feel lethargic and depressed. I highly recommend that we try to do 30 mins of exercise, five days a week. We need to get our bodies moving, get blood moving around our veins and especially to our brain. If we do not use our bodies they will seize up and this will only get worse as we get older. If we stay fit, we should be able to stay very mobile well into old age. The health benefits are too numerous to mention. And a fit body can help fight off disease, help us get through operations and help us live longer. The rush of endorphins will make you feel happier. And do not say that you do not have time – you can make time each a day. There is even an app for the 7 minute workout!!

There are so many great ways to exercise so think big – what about dancing, walking, hill walking, running, swimming, open water swimming, diving, skipping, cycling, tennis, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, running up the stairs, yoga, Pilates, circuit training, boxercise, Boot Camp, trampolining, ski-ing, surfing, volleyball, ice skating, mountain climbing. Maybe take part in competitive exercise such as a Park Run (http://www.parkrun.org.uk) or a triathlon. Join a team such as football, hockey, netball or dance team. Was there a sport you loved as a child but have not done for years? Take it up again. You will love it. Do you do an unusual sport – let me know about it?

It is more fun if you exercise with other people but there are also gadgets to help us track how much exercise we are doing. I am going to do some research into them so if you have been using any gadgets, please share your experience with me. Apps allow you to share your exercise with your friends – such as MapMyRun.

When I was a child I used to do ballet and tap, ballroom and Latin American dancing, contemporary dance, hockey and volleyball. In my 20s I used to go to an aerobic class run by two kick boxers called Peak Energy – it was almost identical to Body Attack. I used to do 7 classes a week and got qualified as an aerobics teacher so I could run my own classes. Now my ideal week would be one of each class: Body Pump, Body Attack, Body Balance, Body Step or Zumba and a swim. But this rarely happens as I am always juggling too many other things. So last year I decided to start running. Everyone in my town seems to run and it inspired me to have a go. I have tried many times before and failed, and would definitely have said that I hated running, but several friends told me about the Couch to 5K app (there are several versions, I used the UK NHS one), so I started it and it was amazing. Each week there was a new challenge and I was sure I could not meet it, but each week I managed. I never quite got to 5K, but I am now a running addict. But one thing they do not do is tell you to stretch after and I would highly recommend you stretch. If I cannot get to an aerobic class, I try to run 2-3K, so sometimes I do this everyday. When I run my brain seems to clear and I have many great ideas, remember things I had forgotten to do and come home feeling totally energized. I had been using the Nike running app, but MapMyRun is linked to My Fitness Pal so I have just started using this. I have an armband with my phone in and so it can track how far I am running and how fast. It also allows me to play music – I just have it on speaker as I do not like having headphones. And I use Nike ‘bare-foot’ trainers as I was having problems with my heals.

I hope that you have some new ideas about exercise and that you feel motivated to get involved. Tell me about what exercise you are doing and how it is going. It work much better when we exercise together. Have fun.