Find Your Spark!
By Gianni Epifani, Sports Development Officer, Manx Sport and Recreation
At least once today but more likely several times we’ll be told via the front page of a glossy magazine, a social media update, a television and radio station that we should exercise more and being more active will transform our lives, the reality is we probably know this already. The challenge is finding the right steps to enjoy a more active lifestyle and even harder to ensure long term exercise becomes a part of our busy lives not just another wasted January gym membership.
At some time we will all have had a negative experience it might be being picked last for a team game by the best player during a school PE lesson, trying a circuit class that left every muscle in our body aching for weeks, feeling intimidated during our first visit to the gym and the list goes on. One of the first steps we must take is to draw a line under those negative experiences move forward and find our spark!
We all have a spark to help remove our self-imposed barriers a popular one is we don’t have time, it’s there we just don’t realise it and also cost, we’ll soon realise some of the best activities are free, and it’s when we start to feel the physical benefits and improved mental health the barriers soon start to disappear.
Getting started is hard but having long term ambitions, a strong motivation and realistic targets will help. These can be very personal and could include completing an Iron Man triathlon, walking a 5km route, joining a yoga class, playing golf, taking part in walking football and netball the list is endless but again it’s important to remember not one glove fits all.
Increasing activity levels long term is the best way to improve our physical and mental wellbeing but there are no guarantees and fun must be a key element, finding a class, activity, exercise or sport you look forward to will ensure those negative experiences disappear. Also consider we won’t find our spark straight away but it’s definitely out there we just need to reach out and grab it.
Improving fitness, health and wellbeing is a marathon not a sprint, little steps don’t push too quickly set achievable targets. The benefits will soon come including increased energy levels, more confidence and self-esteem. Increased activity levels rewards us with positive endorphins, opens doors to meet friends, new social groups having a focus, and daily enjoyable fun challenges.
There will be set backs caused by, illness, injury, over indulgent holidays and lots more but having found your spark these will be swept aside. Finding your spark will make you happy. It will improve your physical health but more importantly it will give you a more positive and enjoyable outlook on life.
