We fitness professionals appear to be on a constant crusade to convince all and sundry to jump on our exercise and fitness bandwagon. In our efforts we quote all known benefits of exercise, including getting healthier, losing weight, or looking better, to name but a few.
But often we are preaching to the converted. Few disagree with us; indeed it is often seemingly unsurpassable obstacles that stand in the way of those who never take the step, like lack of time or difficult circumstances, and not a disagreement with the central premise that exercise is indeed beneficial.
Sometimes we encounter an alternate and somewhat surprising response, which is much trickier for us to handle: “I don’t need to train! Because...” and a number of reasons may follow. “I work with my hands,” or, “I carry this or that around all day” is a popular one, particularly among men.
I agree that manual labour does indeed produce some very strong individuals, and due to the elevated heart rates generated by such work, maintaining energy balance and therefore a healthy body weight also becomes easier.
Without exercise, body parts tend to succomb quicker to the effects of gravity. Stronger muscles hold body parts up where they belong, in defiance of the passage of time
I was recently in a shop where many electricians, plumbers and contractors go each morning to stock up on supplies. The customers came in all shapes and sizes, and I was happy to see a healthy dose of younger men who obviously work out with weights. This was reassuring, as it means that even active workers still appreciate the added benefits to be gained from structured exercise.
Often, the type of tasks that are involved with physically challenging jobs are highly repetitive versions of the same movement. If you lift things at work, chances are you lift the same things, the same way, day in, day out.
If this is the case, the body gets very good at that specific movement, but not much else. Not only would it be highly unlikely such exercise would build a rounded and aesthetically pleasing physique, but this can sometimes lead to problems.
The body likes balance and symmetry. When muscles on one side of the body are stronger than their counterparts on the opposite side, posture is often affected, as is one’s execution of normal everyday functional tasks, during which your body will try to favour its stronger side. This leads to constant compensation, possibly leading to injuries.
Also, repetitive tasks rarely require great degrees of flexibility as we figure out the most efficient ways of doing things. Strong muscles then also become tight muscles, and tight muscles are precisely what tends to negatively affect posture.
For manual workers, a simple well-balanced free-weights programme to correct strength imbalances, followed by a full-body stretching routine doesn’t have to take more than 45 minutes, twice a week. Such a routine would go a long way towards looking and feeling better, as well as avoiding the risk of injuries or the development of nagging aches and pains.
And best of all, learning the correct lifting techniques in the gym will help develop better technique when lifting and carrying things at work too, considering concepts like spreading weight evenly or at least alternating sides for asymmetrical movements, keeping the back straight and feet flat, and using a smooth and controlled lifting speed.
The next popular variation along the ‘I don’t need to train’ theme comes from gifted and naturally physically attractive members of both genders, but perhaps mostly female: “Are you suggesting that I need to?”
Some people have great genetics, and despite the fact that they do not exercise, still have aesthetically pleasing proportions. This is more common among women simply because being slim seems to be the desired outcome in many cases, while few men would argue that they wouldn’t mind a few more inches around the chest and arms, outcomes that we all agree are achieved by exercising.
While it may indeed be true that some people appear to be doing just fine without exercise, consider what is going on inside the body beyond that which is skin deep. Exercise will make you healthier from within, and it will also help you achieve more consistency with your weight management.
Many people will lose weight by altering their eating habits alone, which is fair enough, but exercise can make this so much easier. We know that exercise increases or at least maintains muscle mass. Even in barely noticable amounts, this boosts basal metabolic rate, meaning we need to process more of the energy we consume.
This makes sudden increases in fat weight less likely, which also means you won’t need to go into panic mode and vastly alter your eating habits to compensate every time the scales show you an extra kilogram or two, avoiding the dreaded yo-yo situation of constant weight gain and loss cycles, and associated extreme dieting measures.
And it’s not just about weight loss either. Without exercise, body parts tend to succomb quicker to the effects of gravity. Stronger muscles hold body parts up where they belong, in defiance of the passage of time.
Stronger muscles also help you maintain posture, avoiding slouching or drooping forwards at the neck. They also help avoid aches and pains in the lower or upper back areas; all benefits few ladies would shun.
So remember; don’t write us off too easily, because whoever and wherever you may be, there are almost always benefits for you to enjoy.
matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt