Love and Fitness

As February has Valentine’s/Palentine’s Day, this blog is all about love!

love for yourself, (your physical and mental health),
love for family and friends,
and romantic love

All of these depend heavily on how we feel and how we feel is greatly improved through physical exercise.

Looking after our fitness is a form of self-love. I don’t just mean in terms of body perception but in how you feel mentally.

“Exercise teaches your brain that your body matters”- Shawn Achor.

What are the benefits of exercise?

^[1]Protects you from cardiovascular disease

According to a ^[2]report by the British Heart Foundation, the mortality rate due to CVD can be reduced by regular exercise. The report shows that ‘more than 20 million adults in the UK are failing to meet Government guidelines for physical activity, and that women are 36% more likely to be considered physically inactive than men.’ It concluded that ‘improving people’s levels of physical activity in the UK is critical to reducing the burden of heart and circulatory disease.’

Helps with diabetes and other physical health conditions

There are many benefits of being active when you have type 1, type 2 or other types of diabetes including ^[3]helping your body to use insulin more effectively by increasing insulin sensitivity.

Exercise has also been medically proven to help with other health issues as shown in this report by NHS UK.

Exercise gives you more energy

^[4]Studies also show that regular exercise reduces fatigue and increases energy levels. This means more energy to dedicate to your kids, your job, your friends, and your partner.

Improved mental wellbeing

When we start to put ourselves first and engage in regular exercise, many of the concerns we have around exercise and movement start to melt away. Additionally, there is a mounting body of evidence supporting the role of exercise in managing ^[5]depression and anxiety and improving mental health. For example, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can be helped through exercise as shown in my blog here.

Benefits for Love

So how exactly are fitness and love linked?

love for yourself – your health is improved, and you feel good physically and mentally.
love for family and friends – you are around for them; you’re not a burden, and you are fun and positive to be around.
and romantic love – you are there for your partner and can enjoy a happy, healthy life together. You are happy, mentally well and stable so more pleasurable to be around and more able to support a partner. Physically, you look better (if that is what you want to achieve- e.g., for your wedding or honeymoon) and you have more energy which helps with your love life (say no more!).

Whilst we may spend a small fortune on tokens of love for our partners, spouses or friends, why are we so reluctant to invest in ourselves?

Motivation

Maybe we don’t feel motivated enough to begin an exercise routine.

Some may have the perception that fitness involves too much work, is boring, or something that is just not for them. Maybe in the past they have tried exercise programs which met with failure, or they quit because they didn’t see results quickly enough.

If you find yourself falling into this category here are some tips to help:

Set short-term, attainable goals for yourself so you will quickly see results and success.
Find workouts that suit your interests and lifestyle. You may enjoy walking, running or cycling outdoors, or maybe you love the company of others in a group fitness class.
If you are easily bored, change your workout frequently and vary the exercises you do to help avoid boredom.

When working with me as your personal trainer, we design a program that best meets your needs and will give you results. If we need to change it up often to keep you motivated, then that’s what we do!

Time

Whether it is due to work, family, children, or a combination of all of these, you may say that there is no time for a regular exercise plan.

While finding the time is a legitimate challenge for some, doing some physical activity may actually help you with your other time-consuming activities by increasing your energy, improving your concentration and lowering your stress levels.

If you do not have a solid 30 minutes to exercise each time, you might find three ten-minute sessions more achievable.

If you are worried about what to do with your kids while you exercise, find a way to exercise together like a family walk, or bike ride.

A personal trainer can help develop a routine that fits into your life and your schedule.

Funds

Many people think that in order to exercise regularly they must sign up to a gym membership that might be difficult to get out of, or invest in expensive fitness equipment. This is not the case. You just need to learn the right exercises to do, which a personal trainer will go through with you.

At ABPT Fitness, we have lots of options available to share with you and can create different types of exercise plans that fit in with your life, your location, and your budget. Just get in touch to find out more