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Choosing your exercise

The exercise you choose should aim to improve endurance (the ability to keep on exercising without stopping to rest), strength (the ability to use muscles to lift, carry, push and pull a load) and flexibility (the ability to stretch, bend or twist through a wide range of movements).

Swimming and aerobics are good all-rounders promoting endurance, strength and flexibility; weight training focuses on endurance and strength, and jogging on endurance. Sex, on the other hand, provides an opportunity to improve your endurance, flexibility and strength and if you get it regularly, it’s a useful indicator as to your overall level of fitness.

However, there will be factors which may limit how fit you can become, such as your genetic make-up, your natural body shape, musculature, flexibility and metabolism. If you are naturally muscular you may be inclined towards the gym and weight training. Alternatively, if you have a sinewy or lean physique you may be more interested in jogging or running.

Other things to consider

• The type of exercise or sport that you would like to do, eg: aerobics, walking, cycling, dancing, jogging, running, skipping, squash, swimming, tennis, joining a gym
• Your short and long-term goals, eg: to have fun, make friends, get fitter and feel better, increase stamina, lose weight
• How you are going to exercise, eg: by yourself, with a friend, as part of a team
• When you will exercise, eg: frequency, the time of day, having sufficient time
• Injury costs, eg: professional fees in the case of treatment
• Any other costs, eg: travel, fees, membership, equipment, exercise/ sports gear