If you're already a client of mine you'll know that no session goes by without me encouraging you be more active. I like to think I know what I'm talking about from my own personal experience. In fact, seeking treatment for a bad back is what lead me down the path to become a massage therapist.

I was seeking the help of a chiropractor in my early 20's for acute backpain brought on by work stress, a desk job and a sedentary lifestyle. This continued on and off, depending on how balanced my lifestyle was and how much exercise I was doing at the time, until I hit 40.

Then I discovered the wonder that is BODY PUMP. I'm now pleased to say my back problems have all but ceased to exist. I don't only do Body Pump [I also do yoga, spinning and running ] so I'm not putting it all down to that class. However, it makes perfect sense to me that strengthening the back muscles and getting them to work properly can only be a good thing.

The best thing is that ANYONE can participate. There are ladies of over 60 in my class. You work at your own level and pace. Click here to see the moves.

One other excellent side-effect is that you build lean muscle. Not only do inches disappear within months but weight decreases because more muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate. So, assuming your diet remains the same, weight will gradually decrease. So it's goodbye to thunder thighs and bingo wings and hello to more muscle tone. Like all things that really work, it does takes time and dedication. Most gyms and leisure centres offer either Bodypump or something similar called Pump FX.

Upper body strength is an often overlooked component of overall fitness. For instance, some people will say that they walk for fitness. However, that's only using the lower half of your body - what about from the waist up? I used to think I was fit but I couldn't do a single press up or hold the plank position for more than a few seconds.

I'm pleased to say my personal anecdotal evidence is now being borne out more and more by medical reasearch. To quote from an article in Marie Claire magazine about an American study:

To read the full article click HERE