Whilst on Robben Island between 1962 and 1988 Nelson Mandela performed exercise to help keep himself physically and mentally sharp, and also in order to combat the stresses of prison life. 

During his imprisonment Mandela performed an exercise regime that consisted of jogging on the spot for 45 minutes, followed by 100 push ups and then finishing off with 200 sit ups!

Pretty Impressive!

Despite the government taking away his freedom he refused to give away all of his power and worked relentlessly on improving his mind, political prowess and building/maintaining an impressive level of fitness. 

“I have always believed exercise is a key not only to physical health but to peace of mind” and “I worked better and thought more clearly when I was in good physical condition” – Nelson Mandela

The Power of Exercise… 

I’m using the story of Nelson Mandela in this fitness blog to reinforce the point that exercise is MUCH more than just losing weight, or getting a 6 pack or building big muscles!

Don’t get me wrong these are great goals to have but there are greater, more empowering benefits to be achieved through regular exercise…

10 reasons why you should exercise…

1. improve cardiovascular health 
2. weight loss
3. increase energy
4. better sleep and relaxation 
5. enhance body shape
6. increase libido 
7. boost confidence 
8. keep muscles, joints and bones strong
9. improve brain function and memory 
10. increase lifespan 

Imagine living longer, getting more done each day, waking up revitalised, having more body confidence, having a better sex life, improving your memory and cognitive abilities! Wowzaaa those benefits are going to drastically change your life. 

So what are you waiting for? 

Improved Quality Of Life…

It’s not just about the physical appearance, but also about how you feel. When you are fit and healthy you wake up with a spring in your step, and have more confidence – which makes you feel good, and allows you to have healthier thoughts, which helps you to attract better situations into your life. 

Your performance at home improves, and it can also help to improve your work and social life – basically everything is better when you’re fit! You also tend to handle problems more efficiently and have more physical and mental strength to work though adversity. 

Get Moving and Enjoy The Process…

Whether that’s walking, running, cycling, rowing, pumping iron or kicking a ball around the park – keeping yourself fit will dramatically improve the quality of your life. The benefits of regular physical exercise, as mentioned above are vast and far reaching. Not only will you improve how you look, but more importantly how you feel about yourself. 

If you find exercise a chore, boring or hard work, then you are simply looking at it the wrong way. You are associating exercise with pain, and discomfort, which only demotivates you and causes you to remain inactive. 

Instead focus on all that it can bring. Start off with 20-30 minutes of exercise 4-5x per week. Increase your daily step count (aim for at least 5,000 steps per day – approx 30 mins walking) and fully commit to this for the next 8 weeks. I can guarantee that if you do, you will reap the rewards of all the benefits mentioned in this post. 

For me exercise keeps me balanced. As much as I love the physical benefits I gain more from the boost it gives my mind. I use exercise as a form of therapy and meditation. I exercise to blow of cobwebs, make myself feel better and empower myself to be a better person. It’s one of my favourite things to do because I gain so much strength from doing it. 

Good luck! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch. If you’d like some help why not book in for some 1-1 personal training sessions – i’m based in Sheffield! 

Thanks for reading,

Nick 🙂