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What is the best exercise for health and fitness?





A couple of years ago a friend of mine buttonholed me to tell me how High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) was the absolute best exercise for EVERYONE….yes absolutely everyone. And indeed in my professional life as a Naturopath people were banging on about it like it were the best thing since Jazzercise.  Yet something just didn’t sit right for me and it’s not that I was anti-HIIT. What didn’t sit right was the claim that one type of exercise is good for every single person on the planet.

A little while later I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a personal trainer who had qualified for the Olympics at my Uncle’s 70th Birthday. I asked him one very simple question “What is the best exercise for health and fitness?” and his very simple and fantastic answer was “Any exercise you love”. He said basically the difference between people who maintain an exercise regime through their life and people who don’t is that they have chosen to do what they enjoy. Agreed sir, agreed.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are probably forms of exercise out there that scientifically trump all the rest, but if you hate it, don’t bother. I’m a very strong believer in doing the type of exercise that you love and that feels right for your body. For me it’s yoga, hiking, dancing and a bit of tennis. I hate running, I hate going to the gym, a hate cycling in lycra on dangerous roads and I’m still no fan of jazzercize. But hey, each to their own.

If you are someone that hasn’t found the exercise they enjoy then keep trying them all out. And please don’t keep telling yourself that you absolutely must attend the gym 5 days a weeks for an hour at a time if you are absolutely killing yourself to do it.
 

It is important to be aware of what your physical requirements are
For example if you suffer from adrenal fatigue then pumping away at the gym 5 days a week is only going to lead to early burn out. Then that leads to extended breaks between exercise and a feeling of failure because you feel like you just weren’t strong enough to see it through. For a person with adrenal fatigue gentler exercises such as walking, swimming and yoga will be a lot more suitable. Or if you love the gym then learn to pace yourself so you don’t burn out.

It is important to be aware of what your mental and emotional requirements are
If you are extremely self conscious you may not find that going to a crowded gym that has mirrors on every wall is for you. That is totally fine and it doesn’t mean that there is nothing out there for you. Simple going for walks is a great start. Also there are plenty of exercise channels on YouTube to try out in the comfort of your own lounge room before you get out in to the real world.

Some questions to ask yourself
How stressful is my life including my job?
How physical is my life including my job?
How much time do I realistically have to exercise?
What exercise do I think will benefit me physically and mentally?

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 54% of Australians aged 18-64 were inactive or insufficiently active.

Go out there and find what works for you


Yes you may have been one of the many that has a 12 month gym membership that was used only 3 times but that is no reason to give up on exercise. Here are the many types of exercise out there for you to try….

Walking
Running
Hiking
Yoga
Pilates
Swimming
Personal trainer
High Intensity Interval Training
Cycling
Tennis
Netball
Football
Aerobics
Skiing
Dancing
and the list goes on and on……..

Keep it real
Keeping it real means once you have found an exercise you enjoy try and stick with it. Keeping it real also means that you need to set realistic times for your exercise. The key is to set the times and keep the times. If all you can do is 3 days a week then stop trying to force yourself into 7 days. Just remember you are trying to establish lifelong change not 3 week burnout!

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