Exercise

exercise

I’m a big believer in challenging yourself and very confident that the benefits from setting yourself a challenge will greatly outweigh the effort that you need to put in.

Of course there does need to be a balance and the challenge needs to be appropriate for the individual and their particular circumstances so that you minimise the risk of possible disappoint, too much stress or failure. But rather than dwelling on the negatives and possible risks, let’s start by looking at the positives and huge benefits that can be gained by setting yourself some kind of physical challenge.

There are an unlimited number of potential challenges that include walking, hiking, climbing, running, cycling, swimming to name a few. But the first thing to remember that anything you do is positive. You know it is positive. You know that doing something physical is good for you in a number of ways. Just the fact that you are doing something positive has real benefits to you in a mental as well as a physical way.

Setting yourself a challenge gives you a focus. It offers something positive to look forward to, something to concentrate on and to think about in a good way. So many things in modern life are negative, stressful, frustrating, irritating and a chore. So to have something to work towards, to help motivate you, to make you smile, to get you excited and to take your mind off other things can be such a help.

You may choose an individual challenge where you are on your own or you may choose a challenge where you are part of a team. Both offer real benefits and positive experiences. I have done several individual challenges and it can be hugely rewarding to be able to focus purely on yourself at times, challenging yourself, seeing what you can and can’t do on your own. I have also done challenges in teams where you can meet new people, share experiences, feel a real sense of friendship and teamwork, supporting and encouraging each other and motivating yourselves to achieve the goal.

Whether it’s an individual challenge or group challenge you are likely to increase your confidence and self-esteem, improve your personal development, learn more about yourself and about other people, recognise your strengths and weaknesses and will further build on your life experiences.

Of course you will also get fitter and healthier as you work and train towards your challenge. You are likely to look and feel much better physically which will further increase your self confidence and esteem. You will also feel better mentally as you will gain from the benefits of exercise, feeling less stressed, improved moods, more positive, more energy, more interesting and generally happier.

Then afterwards you have the experience which can never be taken away from you. The memories and the sense of achievement will always stay with you and you can draw on these whenever you want to or feel the need to do so. You can gain confidence and inspiration from what you have done and use the experience to motivate you for other things you do in your life. You can also be inspirational and motivating for others which in turn can greatly benefit them.

So I have talked about some of the reasons why challenges can be so good for you and such a positive experience but what challenge is right for you?

There are so many to choose from and there are a number of factors to consider in order to help decide the most appropriate one for you.
Hiking	Salsa Dancing	Horse Riding
Pilates/Yoga	Swimming	Golf
Sailing	Running	Football
Martial Arts	Nordic Walking	Circuit Training
Walking	Netball	Pole Fitness
Zumba classes	Cycling	Weight training

Recommended links: