By Dr Fiona de Ferrars, Okement Surgery (part of the Wallingbrook health group) based in Okehampton Community Hospital. Co-author James de Ferrars If you don't use it, you lose it IN a previous article, I discussed what we mean by fitness and showed how fitness has multiple aspects. Most people think first of cardio vascular fitness which, while very important, is not the only aspect of being fit. Remember, to be fit we need also to develop our endurance, muscular speed, strength and power, balance and flexibility. When I say if you don't use it, you lose it, I could be more positive and say the more you do, the more you can do. This is because our bodies are extremely efficient at adapting to the demands we place on them. If we sit all day, we will become very good at sitting! The body adapts to this form of life style and very efficiently wastes those muscles not needed for sitting. Our body does not waste energy maintaining muscles which it does not use. This can make us very vulnerable to aches and pains and lead to a general susceptibility to illnesses. If we teach our body that sitting is not the only use we have for it, the body will adapt to the other demands. This is why exercise is so important. For example, if we regularly require our bodies to go for a long walk, we will bring into use more of the aspects of fitness. So a strenuous walk will improve our flexibility, endurance and co-ordination as well as cardio vascular fitness. If the walk is cross country over the moors, then we will also improve our balance as we jump over streams, scramble over boulders and bog trot! So, we should think about making sure we undertake activities regularly and do exercise which develops all the aspects of fitness. In this way, we will maintain our bodily health and the ability to do the things we want to do, into old age. I suggest you carry out a little experiment and find an exercise, and see how you improve with it over time. If you don't walk much, go for a brisk walk every couple of days and see how you improve as your body adapts to this new form of exercise. Alternatively, if you are unable to walk, then try lifting your arms up and down repeatedly. Physiotherapists give excellent advice on which exercises are possible for people with health problems. A few years ago, I went for a walk with one of my daughter's teenage friends at Crackington Haven. At the top of the cliff the friend said that she could not go any further as her legs ached and so we turned around and went back. Remember that it is perfectly normal and healthy to ache during or after unaccustomed exercise. It is due to your muscles developing. It should not last for very long and the next time you will be able to do more without aching. I always worry about people who tell me that they will not exercise as they don't like aching, as people who avoid exercise will end up with a far worse problem than a little ache. I want to develop these ideas further in another article, so that we all start to think about the training principles an athlete would use. Whether we are young or old, an athlete, or a middle aged and unfit business man, we all have a body which needs to be looked after, and trained to be healthy and fit for life! If you have any questions please see your GP.