James - 10-minute motivations

‘I’m motivated to exercise because I feel the benefits in a very clear and positive way.’

By James, 49, from Woolton

When a back injury playing squash highlighted a family history of arthritis, James was advised by a physiotherapist to do low impact sports which would help him stay fit without putting a strain his joints.

Now 49, James has maintained a regular routine combining both swimming and cycling, although he admits long hours in his job as a teacher can make fitting it all in difficult.

“Finding time can be difficult. Sometimes when I go cycling it can be a full day out, but with swimming the best time for me is straight after school if I’m free - I go to a sports center for adult swimming sessions once or twice a week.”

James says looking around to find what’s available has helped him incorporate activity into his busy routine and even increase it. He’s added a new regime this year for when he’s not able to get out cycling or swimming.

“I have an app on my smart phone which lets me do 7-minute workouts at home so I do that in the evenings, usually around 8.30pm-9pm, when I finish marking or if I’m in the middle of a series of books and I need a burst of energy to keep me going.”

Jame’s advice:

“I recommend everyone to start small and do what you can, be creative with the time you’ve got rather than complaining about not having enough time.”