#Wellbeing and exercise.

A quick observation - nothing technical or heavy.

This morning I had my usual early morning bike ride along the sea wall and found myself reflecting on a trip to London yesterday ( to get an Indian visa - a blog to come on that one ). I actually spent much of yesterday people watching. The visa centre is in Paddington - it was a nice weather day - so I walked back along a stretch of the Grand Union Canal, Bayswater Road and the north of Hyde Park and then Green Park. There were runners everywhere and plenty of cyclists on park rides.

My reflection is it is quite hard to achieve a level of fitness and maintain it. Many fail - it seems most cannot even get started. One of the standout observations yesterday was obesity. Very evident - almost depressing.

However as was clear yesterday many people do try of course - runners and cyclists out doing their thing - striving under the pressures of modern city life.

This morning my thought turned directly to someone in my family. A few years ago he never did any real exercise. He played a bit of badminton - walked the dog - but never really pushed himself - never got to the bottom of his lungs.

I look back now - he was wheezy - you could hear him breath sat next to you even with the TV on!

Anyway to his great credit and with the support of his local club and family - especially one of his brothers - he took up running and has stuck with it over several years now. Running is part of his weekly life (not a 5 minute wonder).

The benefits that have accrued to him are obvious and massive. Gone are the pounds that were gradually accruing around his middle. His skin is clear. His eyes are bright. His lungs are clear. The lethargy has gone - he has vitality. It is also evident he is feeling good - and I am sure fitness is good for self esteem ( can you feel good about yourself if you are seriously overweight?). All these benefits are obvious and I am sure his long-term health prospects must have benefitted too.

The key is getting started and then maintaining it. The key is keeping it simple. The key is fitness is literally a marathon - not a sprint - to be really beneficial it has to be built into the rest of your life. Do you have the gumption - do you have the will power - or are you going to wimp out like the majority? What will the consequences be for the quality of your future life if you do?