Exercise is Important

Before you decide that exercise is the last thing that's going to help you get back into mainstream employment, read this:

Exercise:

• helps you to relax
• helps you sleep better
• makes you more alert
• improves mental concentration
• may improve your intellectual capacity
• increases productivity
• generates vitality and confidence
• regulates your appetite
• improves digestion
• encourages and maintains a good erect posture
• tones up muscles and improves the figure
• increases physical strength
• keeps the joints supple
• improves your resistance to stress and disease
• is known to help asthmatics
• lessens the likelihood of sedentary diseases - arthritis, rheumatism, diabetes, backache
• prevents coronary heart disease
• increases cardiovascular activity
• reduces high blood pressure
• balances body and mind and promotes mental and spiritual development
• expands your social network

Everybody needs all of those things - and regular supervised exercise need not cost very much. Bog-standard municipal leisure centres are cheap, have just as much to offer as expensive private 'clubs', are often friendlier and nicer (albeit a lot less swish!) places to be, and the advice and help that you get there and the 'keep-fit', aerobic and yoga classes they give are just as good. And municipal leisure centres nearly always have bigger and better swimming pools and tend to offer swimming lessons and water aerobic classes more often than private 'clubs' - and that can be important if exercising in water is your best option.

Important things to think about:

• Choose a suitable activity for your age and ability that you think you'll enjoy - and that won't involve you buying equipment you don't already have! -and either join classes where you can get expert advice, or get books from the library that will give you relevant information.


• Decide where you are going to fit your exercise sessions into your day - and stick to it. Aim to exercise three to five times a week.


• Start slowly - and don't compare yourself with other people. What other people can do is immaterial; it's what you can do for yourself that matters.
  
• Don't forget that walking is actually wonderful exercise. Ask yourself whether you really need the car or the bus to get where you need to go - and if it's too far to walk, try to ride part-way and walk part-way. Try to walk somewhere every day anyway - even if it's only round the block or a quick tour of your local park or recreation ground - and think of it as part of your exercise program.

If you don't exercise, muscles atrophy, joints stiffen, circulation becomes sluggish, you can become short of breath at the slightest exertion - and you can get depressed. On top of everything else, you really don't need that. Exercise is as important to your health and well-being as food, water and sunshine. Make sure that you get some!

SAFETY FIRST: If you have never done any exercise, haven't exercised for some time, or if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, any heart condition, any chest complaint like asthma or bronchitis, or if you suffer from arthritis or back pain or any other problem that you believe could be adversely affected by taking exercise, you should consult your doctor before embarking on any exercise program. Your doctor will be able to advise you as to what you can and should do to improve your physical health and your resistance to stress and disease.

Emily - http://www.therapypartnership.com/