Living well during the cost of living crisis
With the cost of energy, fuel and food prices soaring in the UK, many of us are struggling and are having to re-think our out-going costs. Maybe we have thought about getting rid of our Sky tv bill, Spotify account or even our gym membership. Most of us want to go the gym - we know exercise is good for us and love the various health benefits, both physical and mental, it provides. This is a difficult position to be in, but we mustn’t forget to focus on the cost of living well crisis.
Why is keeping that gym bill important?
With the UK population exhibiting high rates of obesity and various non-communicable diseases, exercising and eating a balanced diet are of the up-most importance. This is not only for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the NHS, who are facing increasing pressure due to an ageing population. People are living longer, but in a diseased state.
Making difficult decisions
Having that gym membership of £20-30 per month may not feasible for those who just want to participate in exercise as a hobby or because they know it is good for them. However, for those regular gym goers, who train 4-5 x per week, getting rid of that membership would be the last thing to go. So, it’s a question of priorities for some, but for most, it’s a battle between paying the bills or training - yet the decision seems to be taken out of your hands already - the cost of LIVING WELL is too expensive!
What should be done?
There seemed to be a lot of incentives when the first lockdown was lifted, the eat out to help out scheme for example, which some may argue encouraged unhealthy eating and drinking habits. The scheme was aimed at helping business recuperate losses. The same scheme was not applied to gyms, despite various news articles stating people had put on weight, become more immobile and lost their fitness. As a part-time exercise gym instructor, I have seen this first-hand. In a time where people are cancelling gym memberships, the government should offer a similar incentive as with hospitality. In the long run, this would increase activity levels of the population and could reduce pressure on the NHS with less diseases that are preventable by living a healthy and active lifestyle.
Why WGU?
Interested in motivating and instructing people to exercise? Studying Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences degree or MRes Sport, Exercise and Health Science degree at WGU equips you with the skills and knowledge necessary to undertake work in the field of sport, exercise or health. You will learn and research about why exercise is good for health and understand current disease trends and what motivates people to take up exercise or why people simply do not exercise.
On our Sport and Exercise Sciences degree, you will undertake FREE OF CHARGE, a level 2 gym instructor and level 3 exercise referral qualification which will allow you to work in a gym or for local councils. On our MRes Sport, Exercise and Health Science degree, you could conduct all of your work in the field of exercise for health, researching what exercise is most optimal for certain population groups. With the MRes degree, the opportunities are endless, you decide what you want to study!
Written by Dr Chelsea Moore, Programme Leader for the MRes in Sport, Exercise and Health Science Degree.