Regular exercise helps control weight, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. It also helps sleep and lifts mood. Here you'll find advice on all aspects of exercise. Make sure you start any fitness regime slowly: injuries are common and can undo your hard work.
Reasons not to exercise
1. When you're ill
Don't exercise when you're unwell, even if it is just a cold.Exercise will put more strain on your immune system and prolong illness. This will result in you spending more time away from your fitness programme.
It's also a prime cause of other injuries because it is more difficult to concentrate on what you're doing if you're feeling ill.
I've seen someone faint while doing a step class with a high temperature, and get a black eye from hitting her neighbour's step.
2. When you haven't had enough recuperation time
Don't rush back to your normal exercise routine after you have been ill.Starting to exercise too early is likely to lead to a re-emergence of your symptoms.
When you do decide to return to the gym, make sure you start your workout slowly and with care.
Even a week or so off your usual routine can make a difference. Ease yourself back into your programme by doing just 50 per cent of your normal workload and gradually building up.
3. When you're feeling wiped out and stressed
There will be days when you don't feel like going to the gym, but sometimes your body can be telling you to take a break.It can do you a power of good to have a day off from your fitness programme.
Go home, have a healthy meal: don't mentally punish yourself for not going to the gym.
Remember: all-round fitness incorporates spiritual wellbeing. Even though exercise can give us that stress-lifting endorphin high, sometimes we just need to relax.
4. When you have an injury
Whatever your injury, make sure that it is thoroughly healed before you go back to training.A simple injury can be made much worse by your well-meaning attempt to 'loosen it up'. You could injure yourself again, but worse.
Seek professional advice from a physiotherapist or osteopath for any strain or sports injury that is still painful after 24 hours.
5. When you haven't got the correct equipment
Whatever your sport is, make sure you buy the best equipment you can afford. Don't just follow the fad for the latest trendy trainers or gear.Not having the right equipment can result in injury.
Take footwear seriously. A good sports shop will have well-trained staff who can properly assist you in choosing the correct shoes for your needs. For example, there are different types of trainers for running, depending on your natural step.
- Normal foot: will leave a wet footprint that has a curve on one side, but shows the top part of the foot and heel connected by a broad band. A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards slightly to absorb shock. This means you are running efficiently and don't need a motion control shoe.
- Flat foot: has a low arch and leaves a footprint that looks like the whole sole of the foot. When running, the foot strikes the outside of the heel and rolls inwards (pronates) too much, which can cause injury. Motion control or stability shoes can help.
- High-arched foot: will leave a footprint that has a highly curved band between the top part of the foot and heel. In some cases there is no band at all. When running, the heel doesn't roll inwards enough to absorb shock. Cushioned shoes with lots of flexibility can help.
6. When you've got a hangover
If you've got a hangover from the night before, think twice before going to your morning aerobics class.Alcohol dehydrates you, so make sure you have drunk enough water to balance out its effects.
Ask yourself if you are still under the influence: it takes the body about an hour to process one unit of alcohol. If you have had four pints of beer, it won't be out of your system for eleven hours.
Don't exercise if there is any chance that you are still drunk.
Think about when you last ate. Sometimes eating breakfast with a hangover is the last thing you want to do, but if you haven't taken in enough fuel to train, don't do it.
7. When you're pregnant
The rules about exercising in pregnancy form a whole book in themselves, so we're just going to touch on the subject.The main points are that you can exercise throughout your pregnancy as long as a) you feel like it and b) your GP and midwife have said you can.
While the advice is to keep fit throughout your pregnancy, the emphasis is on maintaining fitness, not improving. Pregnancy is a nine-month workout in itself.
If you decide to exercise when pregnant, get professional advice after your third month on what you should and should not do.
8. After your baby is born
How many celebrities do we hear boasting that they went straight back to 300 sit-ups per day within 24 hours of childbirth?Firstly, I wouldn't believe a word of it, and secondly they would be going against all health guidelines if they did.
However desperate you are to retrieve your figure, you have to wait six weeks before you can start gently exercising, or 12 weeks if you've had a C-section.
After this time, start slowly, gradually building up to your pre-pregnancy exercise routine. And get professional advice about which sort of abdominal exercises you should be doing post-baby.
An area that causes a lot of silent embarrassment is the pelvic floor muscle. If you have done work on it during pregnancy you shouldn't have too much trouble, but get some specific exercises set down for you to help prevent leakage.
What if I just lack motivation?
The main piece of advice is to be sensible: think about your motives for exercising and why you don't want to exercise.Be honest with yourself. If you really just can't be bothered, maybe you are finding your exercise programme boring.
If that's the case, it's time you shook up your routine a little. Try adding new forms of exercise that interest you such as in-line skating, dance classes or aqua aerobics.
Finally, remember how many times you've said: 'I don't feel like it' and come away saying: 'I'm really glad I did that!'
