Exercise: Why do we need it and what should it be?

Exercise: Why do we need it and what should it be?

Exercise, is it really important? Well exercise is a regular part of some peoples lives and they would’t feel right without taking their morning exercise such as jogging or even just simple stretching. Then there are those that couldn’t end the day without going to the gym to run a whole mile on a treadmill, or to lift heavy weights  to build up their muscles. Then there are the rest of us, me included to whom this would be unthinkable, so I thought it would be worth finding out  the true reason that we need to exercise and how much of it we really need.

Men know that a good physique will attract the women and also gives them a good opportunity to show off.  Women also want a good figure for the same reason: to feel good about themselves. This is the reason that some people make it their habit to go to the gym and do weight loss exercise because it makes them feel good about how they look. But a lot of people don’t have that kind of reasoning, and do not place such importance on looking good physically and that is why obesity has become an increasing problem in some countries, especially in the US and the UK.

Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated and is being stored in the body to such an extent that health may be negatively affected. Obesity results from taking in too much energy, in the form of calories with too little output in the form of exercise or moving about generally.

Well we know that that not looking good is not the only reason why being fat is not good. There are links to diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2,  certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis that have been well documented.   As a result, we are told, obesity has been found to reduce life expectancy, although there are differing opinions in this respect.

Experts say that being overweight doesn’t only make you feel heavy and uneasy on the outside, but also heavy and uneasy on the inside. I am not sure that I entirely agree with that as many people are overweight and happy and lead active lives. 

The moral of the story then is that you must put out as much as you put in to your body to maintain a steady weight or to lose weight you will need to use more energy than you take in, in the form of calories.  And this is where the trouble starts.  People who are very overweight feel self conscious about going to the gym and coming face to face with the toned sinewy and sweaty bodies of the dedicated exercisers.  But the gym is not the only form of exercise available.  Walking is great and so is swimming.  All right, I know that if you were reluctant to go eyeball to manic eyeball with the gym bunnies then stripping off to a swimsuit might be a bit of an ask to begin with, so maybe start with walking.  After all why confine yourself to a treadmill smelling other peoples sweaty pits when you could get out in the fresh air and replace a food feast with a visual feast to get your exercise.  I am not a diet Nazi and I do firmly believe that you can be overweight and still be healthy and happy - but proabably not in the long term. 

The secret for everyone is to keep active.  If you have a dog, that will be taken care of for you!  But try taking you pooch for a more demanding walk or a longer walk to use more calories.

I think that those programmes like the Wii games and keep fit modules would also be great fun although I confess I have not tried them myself.   I think the secret of exercise is to make it interesting.  Try to find something that appeals to you, that you will look forward to doing, rather than something to have to do.

Use a bit of imagination when you think about the exercise that will work for you.  There is no need to go mad, just keep moving and keep as fit as you can and try to find something that you think you can stick at.  There is nothing more demoralising or counterproductive than starting on an exercise campaign and then giving up after a couple of weeks.  If it is going to be a part of your life and do you the maximum good, then it needs to stick!  Good luck!

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Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio