I have exercised – a lot – all my life. At school, I was on every team: basketball, netball, hockey, football, athletics. When I moved to London in my early 20s, I took up korfball, swimming and the gym. Now I’m in my 30s, I box, do yoga and cycle. The only time I didn’t do any meaningful exercise was at university – and that was the only time I was fat.

Of course, that doesn’t prove anything. I also drank a lot of beer and ate a lot of takeaways at university. And according to a new report, it was that bad diet, rather than a lack of exercise, that made me put on weight. (The smart money is on it being a bit of both, of course, but a report recommending a healthy diet and a bit of exercise would hardly be newsworthy.)

Even if the doctors behind the report are right, it wouldn’t stop me working out. Not everyone exercises to lose weight anyway; personally, it makes me muscly, not willowy. Luckily, strong is the new skinny, hence the rise of disciplines such as CrossFit, more focused on increasing strength and power, and pushing yourself to your limits. I box because I love the adrenaline and slight feeling of danger; I do yoga to improve my balance, flexibility and calm my mind; I cycle because I like being outdoors (and impromptu races) and hate packed public transport. I don’t do any of them specifically to lose weight.

Kids are constantly having new experiences, but as adults we can get stuck in a rut. Sport is a great way to break out of that and try something new. I tried trampolining recently, and it was the most fun I’d had in months. I feel much happier when I’m exercising regularly: I don’t know if it is the endorphins, the benefits of being completely “in the moment” or something else, but I know it is good for my mental health – whatever some reports may say.

Exercise makes you more alert. Cycling to work means I get to my desk full of energy, rather than stressed or sluggish after taking the tube. Going out for a run at lunchtime means I have time to clear my head and get some fresh air, which makes me more productive in the afternoon. It gives me a better work-life balance; being chained to the computer all day while the sun is shining is soul-destroying.

Sport is a brilliant way to meet people. Korfball was the cornerstone of my social life when I moved to London, and many of my closest friends now are former players. As a mixed sport, it was also fertile ground for relationships – these days, there are so many korfball babies we’ve almost got enough for a junior team. I’ve tried loads of different sports and clubs – climbing, kayaking, swing dancing – and without exception met fun, friendly people who always go for a pint afterwards.

Exercise doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time if you don’t want it to. There is a sport or activity to suit everyone, whether it’s walking or weightlifting. You just have to find it and, crucially, make it fit into your life. I box at lunchtimes so if doesn’t eat into my evenings, for example, and I’m currently doing Freestyle training – a kind of high-intensity interval training – that gives you a complete workout in just half an hour.

If the doctors are right about the vital role of a good diet, then sport helps you stick to it. After a sweaty hour in the boxing ring or after a calming yoga class, the last thing I feel like doing is stuffing a burger into my face: I want something healthy. And they acknowledge the importance of exercise in reducing the risk of developing heart disease, dementia and other conditions. That, surely, is far more important than whether it helps you drop a dress size.

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