Returning to the new normality of September and more structured exercise, this week I found myself back in my favourite Spin class. It had taken a fair amount of internal persuasion to go as instead I could have tackled holiday washing or something equally as ‘useful’ but as I got going and felt the familiar buzz of the endorphins and swell of the music I was glad to be there. I remembered a phrase I used to repeat to clients, that you ‘never regret a workout’.

On the whole, I stand by this – opening a bottle of wine and resuming a favourite boxset often seems like a more comfortable option but if you had planned to exercise then chose not to, you are more likely to feel rueful at the end of the day.

That said, over the last six or seven years where more and more of my work has been restorative, foundational and functional fitness, I would say that I have come across many women who have ended up regretting a particular workout or class; the class where the repetitive abdominal crunches made her tummy muscles bulge, the PT who pushed the postnatal treadmill sprint and the resulting ‘accident’, the heavy lift in a weights class that made ‘everything drop’ in the nether regions. These are real examples from real clients who have sought some answers.

Exercising is good for us. That is a fact. This post is NOT going into depth about the benefits of regular exercise – there is so much I could say, but for now I’ll simplify it…. mental health, heart health, bone health, digestive health – all benefit. That’s a given. I’m not here to scare or warn you off a good sweat, that familiar burn, the inevitable great sleep or welcome appetite you get from your favourite way to move. Instead, I urge careful consideration of whether something makes you feel better or worse? If your body has been or is going through an ‘event’ (child birth, surgery, hormonal change, new medication) it is worth considering getting great advice on moving forwards. I NEVER want anyone to regret a workout. Instead, my mission is to SHOW them how their foundational core strength can prepare them for the tougher stuff. It’s empowering and gratifying to know you are doing the very best you can for your body; to ‘feel the burn’ and raise the sweat knowing you have shown your body respect.

Take a look around my website for classes and courses that can show you how. The ‘gold standard’ starting place is one of the Holistic Core Restore® programmes…..