|
Whether you're a City worker, a stay at home
parent, a student, or retired, living and working in London
is hectic!
It's bizarrely true; City life seems to move at a much faster
pace than in other parts of the country. I can say this, having
grown up in the relatively tranquil environments of Hertfordshire,
only to later get caught up in the madness that could only
be London...Working as a personal trainer in London, living
in London, socialising in London, my life is largely contained
within this City! Just as it is for the majority of others
I notice frantically going about their business on a daily
business.
I refer to this, as the most common reason I hear for people
not taking part in some form of exercise is due to lack of
time. I wanted to make it clear to you all that I can certainly
relate to that notion. I just have to look around while out
and about in north London and I’ll notice that in places
where people should be relaxed, they generally look anything
but that! I work with clients in Highgate, and regularly go
to Hampstead Heath to train them, even there people are still
rushing around with barely a moment to spare. However, as
you are all no doubt aware, only through prioritising do we
achieve the things we want in life. Staying fit and healthy
is no different.
How is it that no matter how busy life can get people still
find the time to do the things they need or want to? Maybe
it's because it has an importance attached to it; taking the
kids to football training, going to a relative's Birthday
party, getting a hair cut... These things are seen as important,
and rightly so, therefore we make them a priority, no matter
how busy life gets.
Exercise seems to be the first thing we can do without if
our time is needed for other things. Why is that? We wouldn't
miss a doctor's appointment, or cancel a dental check-up if
other things came up. Instead we would normally work around
it and make things work. The problem is the large majority
of people don't see exercise as important as such things as
going to the doctors, where as in my view it is equally important.
We look after our health in many ways, but yet we overlook
exercise as contributing towards our well-being. Its importance
is low, and therefore so is its priority.
As a nation we tend to look for a 'cure' rather than’prevention’
to such things as illness, aches, pains, and discomforts.
Wouldn't it be nicer to work towards having a body and mind
that is better equipped at dealing with such problems before
they manifest into something that will only prevent you going
about your daily life? Life is crammed full enough without
being slowed down!
This is what regular exercise can bring. Regular exercise
can increase your strength, improve your stamina, strengthen
bones, as well as being a mental release from all the other
goings on in your life. These are just a few of the things
you could achieve, the list goes on... However it is important
for you to find your own motivation and reason for exercising
regularly. Maybe you want to increase your strength in order
to be able to the handle the kids when you're out and about.
What could be nicer than having fun with the kids in the beautiful
surroundings of Hampstead Heath, especially when you have
the strength and stamina to keep up with them! Or maybe you
would like to improve your cardiovascular fitness as you struggle
to make it up the stairs at work without feeling breathless.
Only if your reason for exercising is personal to you will
it become important, and if it's important than you're more
likely to make it a priority in your life. If you can do this
then you'll be well on the way to making exercise a habit
of a lifetime, and believe me you'll be all the better for
it.
So you now have the motivation to begin and more importantly
stick with regular exercise, but where do you begin? There
are several options, depending on your knowledge, desire,
and confidence in what is required of you. Different people
are suited to different methods; some of you may be fine with
joining your local gym, in which your health and fitness is
largely your responsibility. Others may lack the knowledge
and self-discipline needed to get the most out of going to
the gym. In this case choosing a path where you are working
closely with a fitness professional may be best for you, such
as a personal trainer in London covering your local area.
For some, structured exercise may be completely off-putting,
so why not try playing sport, or participating in outdoor
activities, as these are also great ways of putting your body
through its paces.
Whatever form of exercise you choose make sure it’s
right for you, so that you give yourself every possible chance
for success.
David Shah
|
