It is with alarmingly high frequency that complaints are made by so many these days about nagging aches and pains, chronic tiredness and other niggling physical abnormalities that just don’t seem to go away.

Low back pain, muscle tension, aching joints, headaches, fatigue and pronounced lethargy are but a few of the culprits that menace this modern society of ours. Some of these can be identified and treated, while others, when tested, just don’t seem to flag any definitive causes. The latter case can become terribly frustrating for those afflicted, but nonetheless, competent medical professionals will still provide invaluable advice about managing symptoms and promoting general comfort and quality of life.

In all cases, physical exercise as a prospective means of improving health should not be dismissed outright. In our search for remedies, considering this route could very well turn out to be a direction you are unlikely to regret. We rarely have much to lose by tapping into some of the numerous benefits even basic physical activity programmes can provide. Despite the difficulties in arguing this point, participation rates, particularly locally, certainly do not support it.

In Malta we still trail behind our European neighbours in terms of how physically active we are, and local fitness professionals still report a lack of representation from segments of our society whose membership to ‘Club 18-30’ has either just or long-since expired. An aversion to participating in physical activity could in part be due to our attitudes or misconceptions about exercise in general. Images of perfect bodies greased up and scantily clad, pumping iron in the gym or performing seemingly impossible feats of athleticism might seem to be more off-putting than encouraging.

Our cultural fixation with aesthetics has contributed to reducing exercise to little more than a means of looking good. We tend to forget that this is just one of the benefits awaiting us and that better health is actually the more likely outcome of a properly planned and executed fitness plan. Having said that, it is not all about outcomes either. We seem to be off the mark in terms of the actual process too.

For anybody realistically aiming to improve their health, exercise is a viable form of therapy

Most of the time, exercising means doing things that are far removed from what is touted by mass media as typical fitness practice. Most people you meet in gyms will not be conquering earth-shattering weights or covering massive distances on the cardiovascular machines that rival even the exploits of Tour de France cyclists. Most people will be increasing their heart rates only moderately, lifting light to medium weights, and performing very basic stretching exercises.

A tiny percentage of gym users work out every weekday for hours on end. Most visit the gym two to three times a week and will spend just 30 to 45 minutes exercising. Very few participants will arrive at the gym on their very first day of membership with illustrious sporting backgrounds. Most will feel totally green and enlist the services of fitness instructors to learn the basic techniques safely and effectively.

Even in terms of psychological aptitude, few newcomers to the gym environment will feel confident and totally at ease. Most will feel some degree of apprehension about donning sports wear and assuming an array of seemingly compromising positions in front of dozens of onlookers. The truth is, most people are feeling exactly the same as you and are far more concerned about themselves and their own affairs.

The messages we receive about what the exercise and fitness industry is all about really do need some updating. If you suffer from chronic pain or other conditions, it is only natural the mainstream fitness world looks a little daunting. Exercise is a very marketable product, granted. However, it could just as easily be presented as a gentle form of therapy, and this latter view can be far more practical for the majority of people seeking better health and well being.

Even the simple act of walking is exercise, and can be prescribed as the major component of a progressive programme involving variance in speed and duration. Stretching is exercise too and can also be leveraged to great effect, as can basic body weight exercises requiring no special equipment or Herculean efforts to perform. For anybody realistically aiming to improve their health, regardless of current condition, exercise, regardless of which form it assumes, is a viable form of therapy.

If you would genuinely like to embrace this notion, then half the battle is already won. The will to exercise and an appreciation of its value are key factors in motivating yourself to make the necessary lifestyle changes and adhere to them on an ongoing basis. Remember that all effective programmes are progressive and therefore built on your current starting state.

Instead of thriving for some unrealistically intense challenging programme, small incremental and progressive steps from your current state towards your goals are the best way forward. Always get clearance from your doctor or specialist before taking these first steps, along with any guidelines or advice about how you should exercise, what you should do and perhaps, more importantly, what you should not do.

If you feel you need expert help to set you off, consider that the education and training of fitness professionals has come a long way in recent years. Find an instructor or trainer you can trust, preferably with experience and training concerning your condition, and see how exercise can help enhance the quality of your life.

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt

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