Fitness
Exercise wasn’t for me – now I’m a fitness coach. Here’s what changed
The article below is an excerpt from my newsletter: Well Enough with Harry Bullmore. To get my latest thoughts on fitness and wellbeing pop your email address into the box above to get the newsletter direct to your inbox.
Exercise doesn’t always make a good first impression. Often, the opposite is true.
A recent survey found that unpleasant experiences in PE lessons put 28 per cent of people off exercise “for life”.
In the UK, if you didn’t take to football, rugby, athletics or netball like a duck to water, there’s a high chance you came to believe that sport isn’t for you.
Then, as an adult, someone stresses the importance of exercising for your health, so you do what everyone else seems to be doing and go for a run. That invariably feels horrible because your body isn’t quite ready for it, so you stop.
The thing missing throughout this process is choice. It’s hard to develop a healthy relationship with something you feel forced into. But exercise becomes less of a chore if you can find a form of movement you enjoy and actively choose to do on a regular basis – whether that’s swimming, pickleball, home workouts, qigong, Nordic walking or something else.
That is the theme of this week’s newsletter – making exercise work for you:
This probably isn’t the first time you’ve been told to enjoy exercise. That’s easier said than done – and far harder for some than others. Simply running more or pressuring yourself to go to the gym every day isn’t going to work. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
Anne Dockery, a 77-year-old champion runner and triathlete from Bristol, demonstrates this point beautifully. Her bulging medal cabinet would turn any athlete green with envy, yet she only started running at 52.
“I thought running was really boring at first,” she tells me, laughing. “Now I don’t know what I would do without it.”
So what changed? She joined a club.
Anne became part of a diverse group of runners who hit the trails and tarmac every Sunday. They chatted, they ran, and she soon found herself covering up to 18 miles in a day. But it didn’t feel like exercise – by adding a social element, she found a way to make it fun.
There’s a lot more to Anne’s story, including her fight for fitness brands to represent over-45s fairly, which I’ll be diving into in next week’s newsletter.
This is not an isolated case. My uncle joined a volleyball club in his sixties. In the past decade, my mum and several friends have discovered the unbridled joy of Cornish pilot gig rowing. Another friend found a dance class she loves and hasn’t looked back.
Few of these activities feature in school curriculums or exercise guidelines, but they are all forms of movement. And as World Health Organisation guidelines from 2020 state: “Every move counts towards better health.”
I’ve experienced this personally, too. After growing like a weed during my sixteenth summer, I joined a new sixth form as a gangly teen in a foreign-feeling body. I felt awkward and uncomfortable – bulking up in the gym felt like a straightforward solution.
So I went along, lifted a few weights to the best of my ability, then spotted people sniggering at my efforts and promptly left. The gym was clearly not for me.
Fast forward to 2026, and I now write about fitness for a living while teaching people how to lift weights outside of my nine-to-five. What happened in between? I made lifting weights work for me and regained exercise autonomy in the process.
I don’t think anyone enjoys being sniggered at (although I’ve since found most gyms are supportive environments). But what I do love is learning.
So I went to a discount store, picked up a cut-price set of spinlock dumbbells and a barbell, then started inhaling every piece of strength training-related literature I could get my hands on.
I proceeded to pump iron in my garden shed over the coming months. My body changed, my mindset changed, and I grew to love it. Later, I was able to return to the gym with a pep in my step and a self-made exercise plan in my back pocket.
One of the best ways to build confidence is to start exercising with a coach. Once you’ve learned how to perform five to 10 fundamental full-body exercises (think squats, lunges, presses and rows) with good form, you have everything you need to build a robust body.
If the gym environment feels intimidating, accessible home workouts – like the one featured in The Independent’s strength training guide – are a great, time-savvy alternative.
Or you can increase the enjoyment factor by heading outside with sessions like coach Dan John’s favourite kettlebell workout. There are extra health benefits if you can rope in a few friends too – an ongoing 80-plus-year Harvard study has highlighted the importance of strong social connections in living a longer, healthier life.
Of course, these two examples only cover strength training. From all the reading and interviews I’ve done, the optimal exercise mix (on paper) involves regular strength training, challenging your heart and lungs at least a couple of times per week, and a good dose of general movement (ie walking).
But the more important takeaway from this newsletter is that any movement is better than none – and fun is invaluable. Combine the two and you’ll be laughing.
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You can also head to our newsletter preference centre to sign up for the email.
Once there, all you need to do is press the ‘+’ button and enter your email address to sign up.
The article below is an excerpt from my newsletter: Well Enough with Harry Bullmore. To get my latest thoughts on fitness and wellbeing pop your email address into the box above to get the newsletter direct to your inbox.
Exercise is good for you. Brilliant, in fact, by nearly every objective measure. For this reason, the world is full of fit people telling less fit people to do more exercise – but this rarely works. Why?
There’s a quote I love from my chat with experienced trainer, author and all-round sensible chap Ben Carpenter.
“Fitness professionals are hardcore exercise enthusiasts who often don’t know how to empathise with people who are not also hardcore exercise enthusiasts.”
This causes a massive divide between those who exercise and those who don’t.
Those who exercise regularly (group A) often built this habit as a child. Exercising regularly is their default, they are good at it, it feels fantastic, and (as with anyone who has ever hit a dopamine goldmine) they are keen to encourage others to do it too.
But for those who don’t exercise regularly (group B), it doesn’t feel good or natural at first – quite the opposite, actually. This is especially true when a member of group A recommends they start with a high-octane exercise class or hardcore workout programme.
No one is in the wrong – we are all just playing the cards we have been dealt. But there is a solution: start where you are, not where you want to be.
To do this, it is important to realise there is no one-size-fits-all fitness plan. The same workouts will affect people differently depending on individual factors such as genetics, environment and training experience.
This means, when a fitness figure or influencer tells you, “You can look like me by doing exactly as I do,” you would do well to question it.
Instead, it’s best to find a fitness routine that meets you where you’re at. (I think this plan from coach Darren Ellis offers a good framework for getting started, alongside a few options to scale it to your specific needs.)
If you currently don’t do any exercise, adding any new healthy behaviours into your regular daily routine will likely see an uptick in your fitness fortunes. For example, an extra portion of fruit and veg, a walk or a short mobility session.
If you’re a seasoned runner or gym-goer wanting further fitness progress, you need to upgrade the intensity of your existing workouts. For example, quickening your paces during interval sessions or adding a few extra kilos to the barbell for your next set of squats.
In both situations, picking appropriate workouts for you and progressing them in line with your fitness levels is the key to long-term success.
It’s also worth noting that exercise doesn’t always feel good at first, especially if you bite off more than you can chew.
I remember listening to elite coach Chris Hinshaw describe a running session he did with a former professional powerlifter who wanted to learn how to sprint. Powerlifters are juggernaut figures who excel at lifting heavy barbells, but they are often less adept at moving their own bodies.
So, Hinshaw gave his client a beginner sprinting drill he knew the athlete could excel at. “The first bite of the apple has to taste good,” Hinshaw later explained. Spurred on by his early success, the motivated athlete continued to work on his sprinting.
Perhaps hypocritically, given the intro, I am now going to tell you that exercise does ultimately end up feeling inexplicably good. My recent interview with 47-year-old Irishman David Keohan reinforced this belief.
“In my 20s I was into art and music and drinking and smoking,” he told me. “I was obese and unhealthy, mentally and physically. Then you get to your 30s and your body says, ‘Hold on a second, we need to start doing something about this, kid’.”
So, he went and bought a pair of trainers, fending off questioning glances from the man behind the till. Within six months he had run his first marathon. In the next few years he became a world champion at lifting kettlebells. Then, during Covid lockdowns, he started lifting huge boulders in his garden and stumbled across the lost Irish culture of stone lifting (this is one of my favourite recent interviews).
“I got bitten by the bug of feeling good,” Keohan continues. “Before, I never knew what feeling good felt like, if that makes any sense? But once you start to feel good, it’s amazing, and you realise how bad you felt for the last 10 years.”
Now, you don’t have to lift 170kg stones in your back garden to get in shape. This is an extreme example. But it does pay to do something slightly challenging (for you) on a fairly regular basis – whether that’s a short walk or a gnarly workout.
Because eventually, I’m afraid to say, exercise does have a tendency of making you feel rather good.
Get the Well Enough newsletter
To receive Well Enough with Harry Bullmore, simply enter your email address in the box at the top of this page.
You can also head to our newsletter preference centre to sign up for the email.
Once there, all you need to do is press the ‘+’ button and enter your email address to sign up.
This is a tough question to answer because it depends on what kind of exercise bikes you’re into. But based on the popular exercise bikes and the bikes that resemble Peloton the most during testing, it would have to be NordicTrack, BowFlex and Echelon.
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You’ll want to consider cost, size, display screen and whether you want to pay for a monthly subscription. If your main goal is to simulate the experience of riding a Peloton, you’ll want to get a bike that offers similarities, like the NordicTrack S24.
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Indoor cycling is a full-body workout. It targets your core, upper body, back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and lower legs. Some bikes also include weights so you can more specifically target muscle groups in your arms.
“,”quickTake”:””,”canCollapse”:”true”,”collapseOnPageLoad”:”false”,”canTruncate”:”true”,”truncateOnPageLoad”:”false”},{“question”:”Is a built-in or BYO screen better?”,”answer”:”
The most eye-catching aspect of the Peloton exercise bike is its 21.5-inch HD touchscreen. For a Peloton alternative, you want the exercise bike to have a screen or tablet compatibility. Some exercise bikes like NordicTrack and Echelon come with the large touchscreens, but other brands like BowFlex require you to use a tablet to access classes. The smaller screen may not draw you in as much, but it’s a personal preference whether you want the touchscreen.
“,”quickTake”:””,”canCollapse”:”true”,”collapseOnPageLoad”:”false”,”canTruncate”:”true”,”truncateOnPageLoad”:”false”},{“question”:”Is a subscription necessary?”,”answer”:”
Peloton charges $44 a month for its All-Access membership. As you can tell by the Peloton alternatives list, other brands offer similar memberships through their app subscriptions. You can use any of these bikes independently, but if you want to get the most out of a bike, you may want to consider signing up for a membership as well. The other plus is most of these exercise bikes connect to third-party apps, so there are different ways to use them.
“,”quickTake”:””,”canCollapse”:”true”,”collapseOnPageLoad”:”false”,”canTruncate”:”true”,”truncateOnPageLoad”:”false”},{“question”:”What’s better, Echelon or Peloton? “,”answer”:”
This depends on the type of experience you’re looking for. An Echelon is a slightly more affordable option ($300 cheaper), and it’s easy to follow like a Peloton. But a Peloton has a rotating screen, and its instructors tend to be more high-energy than Echelon’s. If the classes matter the most to you, an Echelon membership is slightly cheaper than Peloton’s, so you may want to spend the extra money on the classes and bike if it’s in your budget.
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‘Exercise is usually viewed through the lens of physical appearance, the number on the scale and the size of your jeans,’ says Dr Ramon Velazquez, neuroscientist and scientific advisor at Mind Lab Pro. ‘But you cannot move your body without moving your brain. Exercise is not primarily a body intervention – it’s a brain intervention, and the changes you see in your waistline or muscles are side effects of what’s actually going on neurologically every time you move your body with intention.’
Indeed, while a huge body of research shows how crucial movement is for physical health – from protecting our hearts to reducing cancer risk – an increasing number of studies are highlighting the significant cognitive benefits of exercise, from boosting memory and reducing dementia risk to restoring neuroplasticity (the brain’s resilience in adapting to new information, behaviours and sensory input).
But what exactly should that look like in practice? And how should you structure your weekly routine to maximise the brain health benefits of exercise? Dr Velazquez has the answers below.
The workouts
Zone 2 cardio
‘Zone 2 cardio is the most underrated form of exercise. People usually dismiss it because they feel like they aren’t doing enough if they’re not drenched in sweat or gasping for air,’ says Dr Velazquez. ‘It’s a type of activity where you move at a pace that elevates your heart rate, but you can still have a conversation with the person next to you.’
Indeed, a recent review of more than 258,000 people found that even low- to moderate-intensity exercise performed for less than 30 minutes twice a week improved general cognition, memory and executive function (the mental processes involved in planning, focus and decision-making) in as little as one to three months. Dr Velazquez recommends light jogging, swimming and cycling. ‘From a neurological perspective, this type of exercise consistently increases blood flow to the brain over a prolonged period of time,’ he explains. ‘This is important because it helps deliver nutrients to the regions that are most vulnerable to ageing.’
Such exercise, adds Dr Velazquez, also supports the glymphatic system – the brain’s waste clearance system that removes proteins and cellular waste linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Strength sessions
‘Strength training is also extremely important for longevity. Strong muscles produce and release hormones and signalling molecules that directly influence the brain,’ says Dr Velazquez. ‘Muscle mass starts declining from your mid-thirties via a process called sarcopenia, and as the muscle disappears, so does the neurological signalling it produces.’
Two to three weekly sessions is the minimum needed to make a difference, he adds. ‘The sessions don’t need to be long – 45 minutes of focused, compound movements is enough.’ Think: squats, deadlifts, rows and presses – ‘exercises that recruit large muscle groups and produce the strongest possible neurochemical response’.
VO2 max training
‘VO2 max – the maximum amount of oxygen your body can consume and use during intense exercise – is now one of the most powerful predictors of long-term survival ever identified in the research,’ says Dr Velazquez. ‘Most people assume that blood pressure and cholesterol are the numbers worth paying attention to when it comes to how long they are going to live, but VO2 max is more predictive than either of those – a low VO2 max is not just a fitness problem, it’s a mortality risk.’
To improve this metric, Dr Velazquez advises introducing high-intensity exercise – where you’re working at near-maximum capacity for short bursts – once or twice weekly, adding that ‘a simple and highly effective routine would be 4-6 intervals of one minute at hard effort followed by two minutes of recovery’.
‘It will be uncomfortable, but that’s the feeling you need to chase to make this exercise effective, and the physiological stress of those intervals drives adaptations that are cardiac, vascular and neurological.’
Example weekly workout routine
‘Zone 2 is the base of the pyramid, VO2 max training is the peak. You cannot build a high peak without a wide, solid base, which is why all three pillars work together,’ says Dr Velazquez, who gives an example of an effective weekly routine below.
Monday
30-45 mins strength, eg, squats, deadlifts, rows, presses.
Tuesday
Zone 2 workout, eg, light jog or swim.
‘The key is finding an enjoyable activity that raises your heart rate, but not to the point where you’re gasping for air.’
Wednesday
30-45 mins strength.
Thursday
Zone 2 workout.
Friday
30-45 mins strength + VO2 max training afterwards.
Saturday
Longer zone 2 workout (around 60 mins).
‘I would suggest working out in nature, since a natural environment and exercise are a perfect combination for lowering cortisol.’
Sunday
Rest day.
‘Rest is not the absence of progress, it’s a necessary part of keeping the progress going.’
‘The brain responds to every single session. It’s tracking the pattern, not the performance. And the earlier in life you establish that pattern, the more of your brain you get to keep.’
Having a strong core is about far more than sporting a six-pack. Build functional mid-section strength – while also improving your power, posture, coordination and balance – with WH COLLECTIVE coach Izy George’s 4-week core challenge. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access the full training plan today.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.
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