Everyone more or less agrees that some exercise is good for you. Then, as with the ideal diet, there is no consensus on the ideal form or amount of exercise we should take. I have no definitive answer on this either, just some principles to consider, the usual Stav approach.

Some activity is good for you, we can agree on that but otherwise what is right for you depends upon a great many different factors depending on your age, gender and circumstances. If you have a physically very demanding job then what you probably need in your leisure time is probably some rest. But if your work is sedentary then your leisure time is perhaps the only time you can get any exercise.

In Stav terms there are three things to consider in terms of exercise. Firstly do the stances whatever else you do. This will give you a daily minimum of movement and balance which will help you whatever else you do. Have another look at the messages on the Stances which I sent out a couple of weeks ago. You can find them in Graham's Blog.

Secondly think about activity rather than exercise for its own sake. What activities that involve moving around do you enjoy? Or what results of activity would you consider worthwhile? Walking with or without a dog or friends is a good physical activity. Or maybe cycling. Or gardening, particularly if it results in tasty and healthy vegetables to eat. Or would you like your house to be in better condition? Then redecorate it, save money, be active and develop a new skill. You will get fitter than you might expect, it worked for the Karate Kid after all. Could you walk or cycle to work instead of driving or using public transport? The possibilities are endless, the important thing is to be active doing things you enjoy doing. That way you will get the exercise you need without really noticing.

Thirdly, if you are going to do exercise for the sake of making some change to your body and its capabilities then think hard about what you are trying to achieve and what the cost is likely to be. I don't necessarily mean financial expense, although that can certainly add up in terms of gym memberships, trainers, equipment and clothing. There is also the time, discomfort and risk of injury that goes with more extreme forms of exercise which can be quite a price to pay. If you just want to lose weight and feel better then look at your diet and get more active. Oh, and don't forget to do the stances daily.

However there are good reasons for embarking on specific exercise programmes. There may be remedial issues. I broke my arm pretty badly 30 years ago and it was effectively useless for about a year. Once it had been operated on and repaired I did my best to strengthen it with activities I was used to doing. But there was still muscle wastage so I trained for three months at a gym in the East End of London until the strength returned. If you have a seasonal sport like skiing it is a good idea to maintain the necessary strength in between to avoid accidents and increase the enjoyment when you do get the chance to do it. If you want to get good at martial arts you will need to train quite seriously. I will be dealing with Stav martial arts training next week. With any of these exercise programmes you can drop them when they have served their purpose, or they become activities which you enjoy doing for their own sake, then they are not really exercise any more.

Regards

Graham