It is all too easy to slip into middle age and forget about exercise. You may not have had any health warnings but that does not mean that you are not building up problems for the future if you neither exercise nor take care of your diet.
There is an answer of course and that is to think about joining a club that can offer fitness facilities that you can enjoy at your own pace. It is something that has become increasingly popular in a fashion conscious big city.
Time
It is a matter of finding the time in a hectic city, with the commitments of work, and the travel involved in getting there and back, it can make it difficult to find sufficient time for other activities. If you are keen enough though, you will find the time.
Gently does it
If you have been inactive for some time it is important to take things gradually, but within an organised sports club that is taken as read. New members can get a program of exercises that will gradually build their fitness over a period of time. There are walking and cycling machines which will show you how far you have gone in a given period.
You will be able to start by lifting light weights which you can gradually increase under supervision and when your strength has increased. It is a matter of patience and perseverance.
There are many options other than fitness machines. There are pools to relax in and courts on which to play team games. It is really a matter of choice; if you have persuaded friends to join at the same time as you perhaps you can make a team together, perhaps basketball if you all share the same interest.
Friendly community
Sports clubs aim to create a warm and friendly environment so that members will feel part of a ‘fitness community’ making friends along the way. There are different levels of fitness and of course some people aim to achieve a seriously high level of fitness. Others simply satisfy themselves with keeping their weight under control; it is cheaper than needing to buy a new wardrobe every couple of years.
It is easy to get hooked on fitness and that is certainly not a bad thing as long as it does not get totally obsessive. Although there are many large ‘green areas’ in large cities, fitness centers remain the main place to exercise. After all, winters can be cold and unpleasant, but fitness centers are warm and comfortable and they also provide a totally secure environment in which to exercise with qualified fitness supervisors.
Move into middle age and keep fit
During childhood and early adult years most people are fairly active. They may have been part of sports teams at school and college but opportunities for organised competition are reduced as time goes by. Making the effort to join a sports club to keep yourself in condition is an excellent answer to those few extra pounds that seem reluctant to go, and appear in all the wrong places. You can take everything at your own pace and enjoy yourself at the same time.
Steve Smith writes on a freelance basis and lives in Turkey. His writing covers a range of topics from current affairs and economics to consumer affairs and the Kinetic sports club.