Exercise and getting into tip top shape is a tough path to tread. It’s by no means a straight and steady path to getting a toned fit body. You have to be able to take the rough with the smooth and then some. It’s a rollercoaster of getting results, probably losing them, gaining a bit of form back and maybe then harbouring an injury. So it’s a constant give and take road to fitness, if your not wise to this, you’ll struggle to maintain a program long term.

The point of this blog is to simply state the fact that this ‘give and take’ shouldn’t put you off getting into shape, not in the slightest. We ALL have to accept that it’s a rollercoaster, your not special in finding it hard. Take heart in this fact. Your FAR more damned if you don’t exercise at all. Let’s look at the facts for each, firstly, what your at risk of if you do train.

The top ‘damned if you do’ ailments and some preventative measures

I’ve picked 2 of probably the most common ‘damned if you do’ injuries.

If you train regularly, I’d say first and foremost your at risk of ‘wear and tear’. Things like a bad back and sore joints are very common, the repetitive nature of cardiovascular and strength training definitely puts you through the mill. Not paying attention to correct form and training at different intensities just adds to wear, always be smart when you train and have easy days and hard days so your body adapts. I like to use this phrase with my clients; ‘You can’t take back what you’ve given.’ I guess what I mean by that is always make sure your 100% committed to your effort. If you feel a bad back coming on, or have a niggle here or there, there’s a big chance that training through it is going to make it worse. Be smart when you train.

Second on the list is fatigue, tiredness from training. Feeling drawn out, having a lower attention span and even being more irritable are sure fire signs that your fatigued from training. It’s very common as we tend to ignore our heads when we train and instead listen to our hearts. Combat fatigue by having rest weeks in your training regime. That could mean having 1 week in every 4 as just very easy running, stretching and massage. The remedy to fatigue is very much the same as wear and tear. Don’t be afraid to take a step back. Your not going to lose your form, if anything you’ll get stronger from allowing your body to fix itself.

The top ‘damned if you dont’ ailments and some preventative measures

Again, let’s look at the 2 most common injuries from NOT exercising and what you can do to stop them happening.

I’d say rather obviously, top of the list is obesity. Putting on weight through not exercising and the complications that go with it, such as heart attacks is my number one. Globally around 600 MILLION adults are categorised as obese. It’s s staggering number and one that’s probably a conservative estimate. And (you’ve guessed it), the preventative measure is….to exercise! Start small, Rome wasn’t built in a day, long walks are a good way to begin your fightback against obesity.

Let’s look at my second on the ‘damned if you don’t’ ailment list, I’m going for a surprising one here. In my experience, attached to obesity i’ve quite often seen a severe lacking in self-esteem. So my second ailment is low confidence and the complications that this can bring. Depression, self medicating with more food, anger, doubt and negativity are very common. It’s hard as a trainer to see this mindset in clients as they literally feel like they’re alone in the world. It’s true that you can become an agony aunt to troubled customers.

The remedy? To exercise! It’s a no brainier as a PT. Start small and the mental benefits will only flourish.

In conclusion

You really are damned if you do exercise, wear and tear of your body IS going to happen. But dealing with it by looking after your training is relatively easy. The opposite is far worse, if you don’t train the dangers become potentially fatal. Always have it in mind that you ARE going to have bad days, you ARE at some point going to get injured and you ARE just human. That better body is there for the taking but make sure your happy on that damned rollercoaster, you’ll enjoy the journey far more!