Life happens! So many people have pointed this out. A quick internet search for ‘Life happens’ quotes throws up hundreds, if not thousands, of quips and advice on the subject. It is a fact of life. It moves on with or without us. So we have a choice. Get on the bus or watch it disappear in the distance.

While that might be too binary of a choice for most of us, we can start taking small steps in the direction that the bus is heading.

And that is the beauty of exercise. It is beneficial for us, our bodies and our minds, no matter when we start. Like saving for retirement, it can be awesome to start as early as you can, but it is always better to start than to never start at all. 

Some of us reading that might think, “Oh. Sod it! What’s the point? I’ve left it this late. I hated exercising before. It hurt. So I might as well not even bother, as my body is not up to it.”

I would really urge you not to think that way. You may not have been doing an exercise programme that you liked, or understood. Or maybe you pushed too hard, too soon and got injured. Please understand that it doesn’t have to be this way, and I always advocate the “slow and steady wins the race” approach.

Start small, and build from there. Exercise compounds any benefits it imparts on the body, the more you do of it. But if you try to do much all at once there is a likelihood that your body will not be that impressed as it has not yet adapted to what is being asked of it, and will invariably break down. Injury, anyone?

The body is brilliant at adapting to demands that are imposed upon it, so long as it has time to allow those adaptations to happen. That time also includes rest and recovery. Good nutrition and sleep are also part of the equation. 

But the guy on social media (or, going old school, in the magazine) told me that I could get ripped in six weeks! 

If it sounds too good to be true it usually is, and in the world of health and fitness, the consistent approach is far better than the quick fix. This is especially true if you are new to training (no matter what your age) or have not trained in a while. Make sure the foundations are in place before trying to sculpt the palace! In the words of a well known school hymn: “Don’t build your house on the sandy land.”

James Clear’s quote at the top of this page perfectly sums up how I feel on this topic. It is never too late to start, because you’ll never be younger than you are today. 

If you’d like help starting, or re-starting, your health and fitness journey, please get in touch. I’d love to be able to help you.