Research is continually reframing what fitness “should” be. In my opinion; if you are strong enough to stand up from a chair, lift a weight off the ground, hang the washing, garden, or even carry groceries to the car without pain or injury – you are fit and strong enough for the moment.

Our program is hoping to create the ability for you to retain, regenerate and improve your body’s physical condition so that you can continue as always to enjoy an active, happy life.

What is happiness?

I believe that happiness is not the absence of pain or suffering, but being grateful for the person you are and for those in your life that bring you joy.

We can spend our lives in pursuit of happiness and sometimes without realising; happiness is the experience of being fully engaged in life.

What is the science of happiness?

Happiness is fabricated in the frontal lobe of the brain, specifically the pre-frontal cortex and is a relatively “recent” human evolutionary adaptation.

Neither our prehistory ancestors nor any other creature on earth can simulate an experience in their brain without physically processing the stimuli.

Dan Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist, describes; the pre-frontal cortex is what processes the experience that “liver and onion ice cream” is “yuck” without having to eat it!

However, this uniquely human ability can also work against us; Gilbert writes: “our brains systematically misjudge what will make us happy.”

How can happiness relate to fitness?

Gilbert’s happiness theory can apply to the pursuit of fitness, in particular, to weight loss goals. For example, we may have feelings that if we were; 5kg, 10kg, 20kg lighter we will then be happy.

The reality is, we will feel no happier than we do today. We can confirm this by casting our minds back; 5,10, 20 years ago and know that being lighter was not the reason for our happiness.

Happiness comes from having the ability to move freely, without pain and with a strong and energetic body and mind.

Regular vigorous exercise, like our Shape-UP program, equips your body and mind to react with vitality to life’s challenges. We hope that with our program you find contentment and happiness with yourself and the world around you.

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Live well with fitness

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Anna