On International Men’s Day, class member Rod Beavon shares his positive outlook on exercising the FLexercise way.
How are you reading this? Are you sat on the sofa? Perhaps can you get up easily or is it more of a challenge these days? Or maybe you’re standing reading on the bus or the train and your balance isn’t what it used to be. These problems can be significantly improved upon if you take on an hour of fun and instructional exercise each week.
FLexercise for Men
Annamarie Sterne’s FLexercise class for men ticks every box. Her expertise and knowledge of what bodies can achieve give you confidence in doing the exercises safely and effectively. Her willingness to explain why an exercise is beneficial gives you a better understanding of how you work as a collection of bones and muscles, ligaments and tendons and of course the brain. All of this is in a class of enthusiasts of widely differing backgrounds and spanning some 30 years in age. You are not too old. You will have fun. There is no disadvantage in any of it other than it could significantly improve your physical and mental health. 
It’s not a competition
It’s true that many men are reluctant to join exercise classes. They feel that they’ll make a fool of themselves or not be able to ‘keep up’. FLexercise teachers have many skills which include advice on what you should or should not do as an individual and there is absolutely no question of ‘keeping up’. The classes are not competitive; no-one will notice what you can or can’t do or what degree of ‘achievement’ you have.
The exercises are tailored to men’s physiology and can be adapted – those who find floor exercise difficult can do equivalent ones on a chair. For example, some of us use weights, but no one is gung-ho about this – you use them, or not, as you choose. The movements will improve flexibility, strength, and co-ordination, all of which are life-enhancing abilities.
Many of us have been with the class since it began a few years ago and we have recent recruits too. After a while, you will probably be keen to exercise more at home. Everyone feels better because of their exercise hour is in entertaining company and, most of all, Annamarie’s unbounded enthusiasm. You have nothing to lose so why not just give it a go. 
Rod Beavon – FLexercise Member