Structure. Order. It makes us feel safe. It makes us feel civilised. If order is good, then the chaotic and random, by default, must be bad. But is this really the case? Could it be that structure sometimes amounts to little more than a false sense of security, an illusion?

I sometimes look at the systems and structures we’ve created in sport and physical culture, and ponder their true value in light of the many hopefuls who take up more active lifestyles only to give up before reaching their goals.

We want people to exercise, we want people to be healthier, but as exercise professionals, are we really welcoming and inviting in all that we do?

Overly complicated methods and equipment can sometimes be more disheartening than encouraging for the prospective newcomer to our seemingly strange world sweat and increased breathing rates. For people with busy lives and hectic routines, establishing a training regimen or programme is very often the toughest part of turning over a new fitness leaf, so how easy are we making it?

Faced with the monumental challenge of simply finding the time, we start to review our options. At this point, we run into exercise programmes spanning months or even years. We find sessions mapped to every minute detail, including exact weight to be lifted and repetitions to be completed for each and every set, or levels of resistance to be used on what machines and for exactly how long.

We see strange pieces of equipment being prescribed that we don’t recognise; and we can’t help but wonder, is that the secret? Is that why the ‘in-shape’ people manage and I don’t?

When things appear overly fancy or complex, people can easily lose hope. When faced with many of the messages we tend to send out in the fitness industry these days, I tend to agree they have good reason to. “If that’s what it takes to train right, then what are my chances of training even halfway right? If that’s what it takes to get in shape I might as well not bother.”

But we needn’t let overly complex solutions scare us. Many training methods filter down to us from professionals in various sports or activities like bodybuilding and fitness modeling. While certain athletes might need to train that way to achieve their goals, the rest of us don’t necessarily need to follow suit to achieve ours.

If it really was that complicated to get in shape and enjoy better health, I would be the first one to tell you it isn’t worth it. But fortunately, the truth happens to be quite different.

Working out doesn’t have to be complex or overly structured, it can sometimes be one of the most natural things in the world.

Some form of physical activity is always better than none. Every time you are physically active, you are burning more calories and strengthening more muscles than you would have done had you chosen to do nothing.

Running, jumping, throwing and catching; it’s all about basic human movement and the more of it you do, the better.

Be spontaneous, take up challenges, be physical, be ready for anything and rest assured your body will thank you for it

Part of the physical problems we face today are due to our levels of inactivity. As we make everything easier for ourselves physically, we actually end up causing ourselves harm. While in certain parts of the world and during certain parts of our history people may starve to death or face grave physical danger each day, here and now in the west, we are dying of obesity and inactivity-related diseases as a result of our dietary and lifestyles habits.

While our hunter-gatherer ancestors would walk miles to scavenge or reach their hunting grounds, utilise a range of physical skills to acquire their prey and haul it home again, we by contrast sit in our cars on the way to work, sit at our desks while we’re there, sit in our cars on our way back home again and top it all off by sitting down watching TV or some other form of entertainment.

Of course, our ancestors weren’t stalking or killing things every waking moment. Each day must have presented a wide array of varied challenges, just as ours do today. They couldn’t possibly have known how much distance they would have had to cover, or how much of a fight their prey would put up.

There was an element of chaos to their physical activity levels, a distinct lack of order by our standards, so who are we to doubt the effects of unstructured bouts of physical activity peppered throughout our days?

Taking the stairs, getting off the bus a stop early, parking a little further away from the office, breaking down seated periods with occasional walks, it all adds up. Not as exciting as slaying a wooly mammoth certainly, but every little bit makes a difference, and the more you do, the better.

Think of your ancestors while you forego each opportunity to be more active; what might they have been doing? Don’t be put off by the complex or fancy, go for it and keep it simple.

Be spontaneous, take up challenges, be physical, be ready for anything and rest assured your body will thank you for it.

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.org

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