fitnesscoach; Running time

If you are spreading yourself too thinly between work, home and friends, there may be an easy path to salvation - but you must start jogging along it Acouple of weeks ago we covered flexibility as the weakest link in our fitness assessment. I urged you to stick with it for a month to see and feel the difference in your range of movement just by taking the time to stretch first thing in the morning or after any physical activity. I hope you stuck with it and if you have, then you will have noticed the changes in yourself. Keep it up.

I want to discuss another type of flexibility and stretching this week. I call it the "spreading yourself too thin" syndrome. I have friends who are so good at accommodating all the elements of their lives, that they have forgotten about themselves. I have one friend who is busy at work, has a hectic social life and never has a minute for herself. She doesn't see food as a priority but wants to get fit. Ring any bells?

People don't want to get up early to get active. We have short summers and long dark winters. There is no motivation to get out of a warm cosy bed and go out running when it's dark, wet and windy. Even I don't do it and I am motivated.

My friend has to become a little bit more selfish in her approach to fitness and well-being. She has to learn to say no. No to her friends, no to spreading herself too thin and a big no to depriving herself of food. I have been in her company at night and by 9pm she's so done in she's ready for bed.

Energy creates energy, that's why the sun is in the sky. My friend has to make time for herself. How many of us are the life and soul of the party, get invited to everything and are always there for other people? I have many friends who have kind and considerate hearts, yet have poor fitness and in time could suffer from cardiac problems, weight gain and low self-esteem. Many of us can relate to this.

But there is no magic formula when it comes to fitness, you can't bottle it. I don't agree or advocate quick weight-loss gimmicks, they are not the answer. But I can motivate you and show you the right and wrong ways to get active. I can point you in the right direction as far as nutrition goes and share my knowledge and experience. But, it really isn't worth the paper it is written on unless you want to believe it and start looking at yourself positively.

I don't know what will motivate my friend to move in the right direction. I gave her heaps of advice, offered to go running with her and agreed to look at her eating plan. It is easy for me looking in from the outside - I don't have to deal with the demons and the insecurities that have developed over the years. I do know that my friend has to start finding the time to do something for herself. But she does want to and that's a start.

She knows the benefits of fitness and the great feeling you get after you have achieved a small goal. If getting up earlier doesn't suit you then accept that, don't just do it for week then give up and feel like a failure. I would say well done for admitting that it doesn't suit you. But find a time and a routine that does.

My friend likes running, which is great as it's free and we have loads of great parks and roads to run on. But running may not suit you, so find a class or an activity that you do fancy and just go along. The biggest hurdle is still time; time to fit in fitness and time for yourself. I go walking every day. It is my quality time for myself and it helps me see the day ahead clearer. But that may not suit you either.

Once the flexibility programme you have started begins to show you the correct results, it is time to start finding time for yourself and stop spreading yourself too thin. It may sound as if I'm trying to tear you away from your own life and heap extra pressures on you by adding fitness and movement to your daily routine, but this will add more quality time to your life, I promise youu You can email David with any questions or problems at: [email protected]

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