Fitness and health are both desirable but pursuit of one may have implications on the other. Top athletes may be fit but many suffer from minor illnesses as their demanding schedules can compromise immune system function. Even if you are not competing at a high level does your training cause you injury? Backpain is going to impact on your well-being. Other seemingly minor aches and pains can also lead to problems in the long term as digestion, circulation and breathing may be effected by strains sustained during exercise.

Getting the right balance

Over-training or exercising when tired are a common cause in injury. It's ironic that your trip to the gym or weekly game of golf may lead to health problems when the reason you do it is to promote wellness. More serious conditions can occur when the quest for an ideal shape, weight or level of fitness becomes an obsession. The more you concentrate on reaching the goal, the narrower your vision becomes until eventually you may make wrong decisions regarding your training. You can become so fixed on the goal that you start to neglect more important issues, such as health and family.

To ensure your quest for fitness does not impact on your health it is vital to recognise the early signs. These are:-

• Prolonged aches and pains after training

• Needing that workout fix daily

• Training when injured

• Getting withdrawal symptoms when unable to train

• Adverse changes in your posture

• Missing social occasions because it interrupts
  your training schedule

Your posture and your health

Being able to take a step back to assess ambition, attitude and approach is an essential task to ensure you are still moving in the right direction on your fitness and health. If circumstances change unbeknown to you, your dream may no longer be appropriate or beneficial. To continue following the same path to attain your goal risks limiting further development. On realising an ambition, if you have learnt nothing about yourself along the way, you have missed out on the most valuable part. Real progress comes from learning in the light of reliable experience.

A thorough understanding of your own body is essential if you are to make the right decisions about your fitness and health regime. Yet conversely, a vigorous training schedule may reduce your body-awareness skills due to poor muscular habits encouraged by physical exercise. Muscle imbalances developed through certain exercises will change your posture and movement patterns which can further effect movement. It becomes a Catch-22 situation.

Sports Injury and your health

Most sports people will at some stage suffer from an injury. The majority will be minor and following a few days or weeks rest you should be able to return to your sport. But if it becomes a persistent injury it will impact on your other activities and eventually your health.

Yes, it's frustrating to have an enforced break on your training but it is essential to think of the long-term implications of training through an injury or returning too early before a full recovery. See are you contributing to your sports injury and returning to running following an injury . It is important to identify the reason for sustaining the injury and assess your technique and training program before you do it again.

Try my body awareness test
A demanding training regime can surprisingly reduce the efficiency of your movement by developing poor habitual patterns. If you have such habits it may prevent you from achieving your fitness and health goals. Take my quick body test and discover if your movement may have been compromised.

Swimming for fitness and health
Many people choose to swim to maintain their fitness but quite a few will tell you they don't really enjoy the experience. Is swimming a chore for you? How can it be made more interesting?

Walking for fitness
Walking is a great activity for all ages to maintain fitness and health if you avoid the temptation to make it harder than it should be!

Treadmills: what to consider before buying one
Treadmills can provide a great alternative to running outdoors through the winter months or if you are self-conscious about running in public. Take a look at my guide to help you decide.

Running for fitness and health
Running is an ideal way to maintain your fitness and health throughout your life. My guide will help you to develop good technique and an approach that will keep you wanting more for the years to come.

Back pain and your health and well-being
Most people experience back pain at some stage of their life. Is your back hurting you? Or are you hurting your back?

Try my ultimate fitness test - its not what you think!
Strength, suppleness and stamina play a role in fitness. But what if you have unknowingly developed habitual movement patterns that are undermining your pursuit of fitness and health? Check out your movement with our unique test.

Make fitness for life an achievable goal
The main obstacles stopping you achieving your fitness goals are injury and boredom! Tackle both of these with my Fit for Life program.

How to set goals worth achieving
Too many fail to achieve their fitness targets through not setting goals or when they do, setting the wrong goals. The right process will increase your chances of success with your fitness and health targets.

Balance your health requirements with my Zone Fitness Program
Warning! You will not find endless repetitive exercises containing movements that have nothing in common with efficient, natural activities in our programs. My procedures are designed to develop your skills of self-awareness and focus to get the best from your body without the stress.

How safe is power walking?
Power walking is the new jogging. Its supporters advocate the safety whilst still burning up the calories. But just how safe is it? Could the technique be building up trouble for the future. Could running still be the best option for keeping fit?

Habits and health
Habits dominate our lives without us knowing it! Most of your actions will be determined by habit, but how do we break them?

Habits and eating
Are your habits stopping you eating a healthy diet?

Want to ask a question? My view of what fitness means and how it can be attained is different to the conventional approach. If there is anything on this page that you would like to follow up please feel free to contact me

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