For the last 30 years or so running has been my main form of exercise and keeping fit. However age is catching up with me and my joints were starting to complain so after taking early retirement I joined Harlington Manor Health club in February 09 to add some variety and reduce impact on the joints.

Gym sessions on their own can be a bit boring so I book circuits when I can which adds variety and having booked I am less likely to chicken out!! The instructors are really good and no two sessions are the same so it keeps you interested. All the staff are very friendly and always on hand to answer any questions or provide advice. I usually finish off with a swim and occasionally a sauna, which gets rid of the aches, and is a good way to relax after a hard session.

I am definitely feeling fitter and increasing core fitness seems to be helping the creaking knees and hip joints, and as a bonus my running has improved. Harlington Manor Health Club has a friendly relaxed atmosphere and offers a good variety of activities through the classes as well as the gym and pool.

I was somewhat surprised at being invited to be member of the month as l guess like most other people I just turn up and work through my programme. I joined Harlington Manor Health Club at the beginning of October 2008 when the realisation finally sank in that the strength, flexibility and energy developed and sustained by playing football & practicing Martial Arts in my younger days had over the intervening ten years of relative inactivity declined to a pretty low level. I knew that good intentions were one thing but if I was to maintain a programme of regular exercise it would have to become part of my routine hence one of the reasons I selected Harlington Manor Health Club was its convenient location between work and home.

The staff here are very friendly and helpful, I like how the club is organised and run and in particular the ethos of consideration of other members. All factors which I believe contribute to giving the club a very personal feel. On arrival thoughts and problems of the outside world soon disappear as the physical challenges become all consuming. Occasionally I like to use the pool and sauna to wind down from those everyday stresses. I have therefore found that the range of activities available have been a benefit to both mind and body.

• May be easily structured to provide a whole body workout.
• Does not require expensive gym equipment.
• Participants normally work in small groups, allowing beginners to be guided by more experienced individuals, as well as benefiting from the supervision of the instructor.
• Can be adapted for any size workout area.
• Can be customized for specificity; easy to adapt to your sport.

• Circuit training is well suited for developing aerobic endurance or fat burning. It is, however, not so suitable for those wishing to build strength or muscle bulk.
• The duration of some circuit training stations can be in the region of 45 to 60 seconds, and in some cases as long as two minutes. These circuits typically mean that the number of repetitions performed on each station is relatively high, putting each exercise way out on the endurance end of the intensity continuum.
• Those wishing to optimise increase in strength or muscle bulk (hypertrophy) can reduce the number of repetitions performed and increase the weight to be lifted or increase the intensity, when hydraulics or elastics are used. On the other hand, longer station length is quite appropriate for any cardiovascular (aerobic) stations included in the circuit.

I never imagined when I joined Harlington Manor Health Club that I would become a “member of the month”. I thought it would be strictly the real gym business that would be considered, you know, the really fit ones that put in hours and hours of hard exercise day in day out. I was wrong, they picked me!

I joined the Club last October after more than a decade of doing no exercise whatsoever, apart from running around after my three children. The time had come to take matters into my own hands, not only was I overweight but so unfit the thought of exercise had me reaching for the bottle opener!

Now in my fourth month I have been amazed and quite chuffed at the results. Not only have I changed on the outside (having lost a stone) but on the inside too; I am more positive and enthusiastic and have much more energy and all from coming to the gym three times a week!

The Club has a relaxed atmosphere and friendly helpful staff which makes that trip to the gym much easier!

Aerobic Training
Both the term and the specific exercise method were developed by Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., an exercise physiologist, and Col. Pauline Potts, a physical therapist, both of the United States Air Force. Dr. Cooper, an avowed exercise enthusiast, was personally and professionally puzzled about why some people with excellent muscular strength were still prone to poor performance at tasks such as long-distance running, swimming, and bicycling.

He began measuring systematic human performance using a bicycle ergometer, and began measuring sustained performance in terms of a person's ability to use oxygen. He wrote a book, Aerobics, which was published in 1968, and included scientific exercise programs using running, walking, swimming and bicycling. The book came at a fortuitous historical moment, when increasing weakness and inactivity in the general population was causing a perceived need for increased exercise. It became a bestseller. Cooper's data provided the scientific baseline for almost all modern aerobics programs, most of which are based on oxygen-consumption equivalency.

Fox and Haskell formula showing the split between aerobic (light orange) and anaerobic (dark orange) exercise and heart rate

Aerobic exercise and fitness can be contrasted with anaerobic exercise, of which strength training and weight training are the most salient examples. The two types of exercise differ by the duration and intensity of muscular contractions involved, as well as by how energy is generated within the muscle. Initially during aerobic exercise, glycogen is broken down to produce glucose, which is then broken down using oxygen to generate energy. In the absence of these carbohydrates, fat metabolism is initiated instead. The latter is a slow process, and is accompanied by a decline in performance level. This gradual switch to fat as fuel is a major cause of what marathon runners call "hitting the wall”. Anaerobic exercise, in contrast, refers to the initial phase of exercise, or to any short burst of intense exertion, in which the glycogen or sugar is consumed without oxygen, and is a far less efficient process. Operating anaerobically, an untrained 400 meter sprinter may "hit the wall" short of the full distance.

Among the recognized benefits of doing regular aerobic exercise are:

• Strengthening the muscles involved in respiration, to facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs
• Strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate
• Toning muscles throughout the body
• Improving circulation efficiency and reducing blood pressure
• Increasing the total number of red blood cells in the body, facilitating transport of oxygen
• Improved mental health, including reducing stress and lowering the incidence of depression

As a result, aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of death due to cardiovascular problems. In addition, high-impact aerobic activities (such as jogging or jumping rope) can stimulate bone growth, as well as reducing the risk of osteoporosis for both men and women.

Weight Training
Hippocrates explained the principle behind weight training when he wrote "that which is used develops, and that which is not used wastes away." Progressive resistance training dates back at least to Ancient Greece, when legend has it that wrestler Milo of Croton trained by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it was fully grown. Another Greek, the physician Galen, described strength training exercises using the halteres (an early form of dumbbell) in the 2nd century.

Another early device was the Indian club, which came from ancient Persia where it was called the "meels." It became popular during the 19th century, and has recently made a comeback in the form of the clubbell.

The dumbbell was joined by the barbell in the latter half of the 19th century. Early barbells had hollow globes that could be filled with sand or lead shot, but by the end of the century these were replaced by the plate-loading barbell commonly used today.

The 1960s saw the gradual introduction of exercise machines into the still-rare strength training gyms of the time. Weight training became increasingly popular in the 1980s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron, and the subsequent popularity of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since the late 1990s increasing numbers of women have taken up weight training, influenced by programs like Body for Life; currently nearly one in five U.K women engages in weight training on a regular basis.

An early plate-loading barbell and kettlebell

The basic principles of weight training are essentially identical to those of strength training, and involve a manipulation of the number of repetitions (reps), sets, tempo, exercise types, and weight moved to cause desired increases in strength, endurance, size, and shape. The specific combinations of reps, sets, exercises, and weights depends on the aims of the individual performing the exercise; sets with fewer reps can be performed with heavier weights.

You are a committed fitness fanatic looking to optimize your results. Or perhaps you have just begun your journey to improved health and want to establish a rounded fitness training routine. Regardless of your present level of physical fitness, it is important to base your exercise goals upon these four primary elements of fitness.

Aerobic Fitness
Any activity you do — from taking a walk to washing the dishes requires oxygen. Regular aerobic fitness exercise increases your body's ability to use oxygen. How well you use oxygen is termed your "aerobic capacity”. When your aerobic capacity is high, your heart, lungs and blood vessels efficiently transport and deliver large amounts of oxygen throughout your body. Aerobic exercise helps you in your daily activities. It helps your heart, blood vessels, lungs and muscles complete routine tasks and rise to unexpected challenges, such as running to your car in pouring rain. The key to achieving aerobic capacity is to find fitness training activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. You need not limit yourself to a single activity, such as running. Add variety and increase your motivation by trying different types of aerobic activity, such as dancing, bicycling or water aerobics. Aerobic exercise at least 10 minutes in length is required to obtain health benefits.

Muscular Fitness
Muscular fitness refers to the strength and endurance of your muscles. The more fit your muscles are, the easier your daily tasks become, whether they include lifting groceries, raking the yard or pushing a vacuum cleaner. Strength training can help you improve your muscular fitness. It also enables you to increase your body's lean muscle mass, which helps with weight loss. Training options include using free weights, resistance bands, weight machines or your own body weight to increase muscular strength and endurance. Fitness training that includes more than one option will help ensure greater overall muscular fitness.

Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to move your joints through their full range of motion. You maintain your body's flexibility through stretching. When you are flexible, routine tasks, such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoe and hurrying to catch a bus, are easier and less tiring. Fitness training activities that lengthen your muscles increase your flexibility. One way to become more flexible is to include stretching exercises in your fitness routine. Yoga and tai chi, if performed correctly, can be effective for improving flexibility. No matter what type of stretching exercises you choose, make flexibility training an integral part of your fitness plan.

Stability and Balance
Stability and balance are associated with your body's core muscle strength — the muscles in your lower back, pelvis, hips and abdomen. These core muscles provide the support system for almost any activity or motion your body makes. They help you maintain stability and balance during your daily activities. You can improve your stability and balance through core exercises that strengthen the muscles at the centre of your body — the area around your trunk — where your centre of gravity is located. A strong midsection helps combat poor posture and low back pain. It also helps prevent falls, especially in older adults. Cover all 4 elements Whether you create your own fitness training plan or work with a personal trainer, make aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility, and core strengthening for stability and balance a part of your overall exercise plan. Factoring in these four fitness elements can help you live a longer, healthier life.

Please see our Fitness Instructors for further advice and assistance.