OK, but why do we have to exercise? They forgot to tell us why.

Is it to “be healthy”? To lose weight? To preempt problems later in life? Would you exercise if you didn’t have to? What if you only do 25 minutes? Can you do 60 minutes one day and skip a session? What if you are only able to do 15 minutes?

The “30 minutes 4 times a week” sounds specific but is actually very imprecise when you go into detail. “Exercise more and eat healthier” suggests that exercise accounts for 50% of your health. Exercise can be wonderful if you enjoy it but eating healthy accounts for at least 80%.

Yes, being sedentary is bad for your body, but movement doesn’t have to be labelled ‘exercise’ to be effective.

The £xxx billion fitness industry will of course tell you otherwise to keep you paying for the newest gear and clothing, smart watches and trackers, energy bars and drinks, app communities for support, gym memberships, online subscriptions, etc.

By all means exercise if you enjoy it but don’t kid yourself thinking that exercise equals health.

Consider this, what if you just allocated your fitness budget on ingredients that support your health, while regarding daily movement as sufficient ‘exercise’?