The best exercise

'What is the best form of exercise?'
Swimming?
Decathlon?
Cross-country skiing?
Croquet?

It's a question I am often asked:- by everyone from elite sportsmen to octogenarian lawn bowlers seeking the elixir of life.

I know you are waiting with bated breath for the answer, hanging out for my words of guru-wisdom-spouted-from-on-high (though at five foot one, maybe not so high).
I am smiling to myself because...
the answer may not be what you are expecting.

So what is the best form of exercise?

The answer...Drum roll please.


ANY EXERCISE YOU WILL ACTUALLY DO.

That's it. The secret in a sentence.
There is no magic exercise. The magic lies in finding something that you can do regularly.

Most exercise plans fail because people choose something they think they should do, rather than something they can do or might even enjoy.

Why run if you have abysmal biomechanics like me and hate running? You'll only feel virtuous for a few days until the blister/shin/splints/hate-this-running-instinct kicks in and you give up. So unless you are trying to get into some kind of job where they test your ability to run, why not try something else?

Why go to the gym if the closest gym is forty-five minutes away and you have to travel an hour and a half to get an hour's exercise? Unless...going to the gym is something you love to do.

You will be far more successful if you start an exercise plan by first working out what exercise you like, what would fit easily into your day or week and what gives you the best bang-for-your-sweat

To get the most bang-for-your-sweat an exercise activity needs to have
VARIETY
FREQUENCY and
THE FUN FACTOR
A partner is good but there's nothing wrong with going it alone
LENGTH can vary. Long is good but if a short session is all you've got then grab it!
It needs to
GET THE HEART RATE UP
WORK THE MUSCLES
STRETCH THE BODY in different directions.

Can you think of any activities that might cover all these aspects?

I can.
The obvious of course. But what about

*swimming or aqua-exercise. Water-based exercise meets all the above but does not help bone density

*dancing - can combine strength/flexibilty/aerobic fitness in one activity and you can do it at home, anytime, where no one is looking, naked even. Handy hint- a good supportive bra is not so liberating but your breasts will thank you.

*trampolining - if you do the tricky stuff it certainly is an all-round work-out but a) you need a trampoline and
b) the effects can be disconcerting when a full bladder collides with gravity
unless the pelvic floor is, dare I say it? water-tight.

NONE OF THESE APPEAL?

Don't panic. No single exercise needs to do everything. You can go the combo.
Just make a list of what you could do. E.G.
*walking for an hour a day
*Wifit for 30 minutes every day
*tantric kinky yoga with Sting for two hours a day
*zumba class 3 days a week

Then whittle this list down to what is more realistic and easy to incorporate into everyday life. E.G.
*walk every day -aim for 30 minutes but 10 is fine. Plus or minus something hairy or loud for company.
*wiifit when the weather rules out walking.
*10 minutes of ordinary, garden-variety yoga alone every morning
*zumba class once a week


If you have done no exercise for ages, just start with one thing at a time and expect to be sore.
If you already do exercise but are getting stale, remember the variety rule.
Same old same old won't get improvement.

And when you do whatever you choose to do.
SMILE and think about all the ways you can get
the best bang for your sweat.

SEE Exercise can be fun.