Regular exercise is a key component of maintaining overall health and well-being.
Exercise is particularly important for musicians and composers, as their work is often physically and mentally demanding, and can require prolonged hours in a static position, combined with repetitive movements and intense work on the computer or instrument. This can lead to fatigue, excessive muscle tension and physical strain.
Regular exercise builds strength and stamina, reducing the impact of work on your body. It will also boost mood, help you manage stress, improve well-being, and reduce injury risk.
Exercise Guidelines
Exercise involves moving the body in a structured activity to develop and maintain fitness. There are two main types of exercise that we need to do regularly:
Moderate Intensity Aerobic Exercise
Muscle Strengthening Exercise
Moderate Intensity Aerobic Exercise
Muscle Strengthening Exercise
The following link provides further information on exercise guidelines: Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 – NHS
BAPAM also has suggestions for warm-up and cool-down exercises: Don’t Cramp Your Style | BAPAM
Top Tips: Exercising More
It can be difficult to fit regular exercise into a busy schedule. Here are some useful tips to integrate more movement and exercise into your day.
- Habit Stacking: This is an evidence-based method of building new habits. Simply pair up an everyday task (e.g. cleaning your teeth) with a new exercise habit (e.g. 20 squats a day).
Each time you carry out the everyday task, you immediately follow it with your new exercise habit. Connecting the task and new activity helps the habit to stick. For more information, click the link: jamesclear.com/habit-stacking - Time-Efficient Workouts: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves bursts of intense activity followed by short rest periods. Research shows that HIIT has is an effective, time-efficient way of improving fitness.
For more information and ideas for HIIT workouts from the NHS – click the following link: youtube.com/watch?v=wa0Jtlh3J2s - Be NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) refers to all the incidental bouts of unstructured activity we do throughout the day. This includes regular chores like shopping, cleaning the house or commuting to work.
Increasing your incidental activity levels throughout the day, can allow you to build overall fitness and support health. Here are some examples:- Take the stairs instead of the lift
- Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest
- Park further away from your destination and walk
- Movement Snacks: It can be difficult to find time for an extended period in the gym or group class. Research shows that breaking up exercise into smaller bouts or ‘movement snacks’ can be as effective as longer workouts. It can also suit older adults, women going through menopause or those struggling with fatigue.
A short movement snack could include: one minute of step-ups, 20 jumping jacks, 20 squats, 20 press ups and 20 sit-ups. For more ideas try the Seven-minute workout app. - Exercise Tracking: It can be a challenge to stay motivated when we are trying to exercise more regularly. There is a period where the benefits of exercising are not yet felt, despite our efforts.
Research has shown that tracking your exercise helps to bridge this gap and keep us on track.
There are several free apps that allow you to track your exercise, but a simple way is to log your daily step count using your smartphone or pedometer. This will give you a good idea of how much you are moving. Ideally, we should be aiming for over 5,000 steps per day. - Get Creative: If you are travelling, try and find alternative ways to access facilities such as hotel gyms, taking your own yoga mat or exercise bands to work out. If you cannot access equipment, bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, planks, and push-ups are highly effective.
Try a new activity or sport to introduce fun and variety.
Partner with a friend or colleague for support and to keep each other motivated.
Regular exercise has many benefits such as improved musculoskeletal health, boosting the immune system and supporting mental health.
Choosing activities that you enjoy will help you stay motivated and sustain a regular movement habit.
Stay Safe
If you have a medical health condition, an acute injury or have not exercised for a long time, it’s important you seek guidance from your GP or other health professional before you start exercising. It’s important to start gradually, to allow the body time to adapt and get stronger. This will avoid exacerbating a health condition or risking an injury.
