Is there a right type of exercise?

In a word … NO. Exercise comes in many forms and within those there are many variations. This can lead to people getting confused as to what they should and shouldn’t do , add social media into the mix and it all just gets a lot worse!

The point of this post is not to preach at you what form of exercise you should do nor is it here to shame on certain types. Instead I just want to make you aware of what is out there and how you go about choosing what to do.

The main thing is to just move. There is an array of health benefits from getting in some form of exercise regularly into your weekly routine how often this is depends on your lifestyle and goals but I would aim for minimum 3 times a week with regular walking everyday. Some of these benefits are:

Improved muscular and cardiovascular fitness
Improves bone health
Improves mindset and reduces stress
It can help if you are on a weight loss journey
Renewed confidence
Feel good factor due to release of endorphins

The next thing to consider are your goals. What is it you are wanting to achieve and how is exercise going to help that. From there you should be able to determine what kind of exercise will help you get there. Now if your goal is mainly a weight loss one then any kind of exercise that puts you in a calorie deficit will be right for you. If you are wanting more muscle definition or ‘tone’ then there will need to be some form of weight training in there, this doesn’t have to be a bodybuilding 5 day split but it needs to focus on the muscles you are wanting to build with progressive overload and fuel. If you are wanting to run a marathon in X amount of time then you will need to get a training programme sorted which involves progressive running distances / times / paces alongside strength conditioning work. And that’s just 3 examples there are so many.

Once you have got an idea of your goals the next thing is accessibility, affordability and motivation. Be realistic – set challenges yes but if you are really wanting to swim the great north swim but have no access to a pool or it will cost too much is that going to be an achievable goal. Make sure that you can do the exercise you want in a way that will keep you going. And be practical about it – For example I would love to start up Cross Fit as a new way to challenge my body and push it however I don’t have access to a box at the moment therefore I have put that on the back burner for now. Instead I have given myself a new goal to run a half marathon next month meaning my training has completely changed. No right or wrong way just a different direction.

So the next time someone tells you you HAVE to do something or NEED this exercise just take the time to think about it, because if it fits your lifestyle, your goals and your enjoyment then don’t listen and just do you 🙂

Love Vicki xxx