From Moving to Improving: The Shift from Exercise to Training

Here’s a question for you: are you moving for the sake of it or are you moving with purpose?

A lot of people turn up at the gym, head out for a run or join a fitness class with the best intentions… but then wonder why results seem patchy or progress stalls.

The answer often lies in the difference between training and exercising. Two words that get used interchangeably, but in reality, they’re not quite the same thing.

What is exercising?

Exercising is simply moving your body for health, enjoyment or stress relief.

Think of it as:

• Going for a jog because it clears your head.

• Hitting a spin class because it feels good to sweat.

• Doing a random weights circuit at the gym because you’ve got 45 minutes and fancy working up a pump.

Exercise is brilliant for:

• Boosting your mood and mental health.

• Burning calories and improving general fitness.

• Keeping your heart, lungs and joints healthy.

Sometimes exercising is exactly what you need — especially after a stressful day when the goal isn’t to shave seconds off your 5K but to not throttle your boss.

What about training?

Training is exercise with a specific purpose and structure. It’s when you’ve got an outcome in mind and your workouts are designed to move you towards it.

That could be:

• Running a half marathon in under two hours.

• Rebuilding strength after an ankle sprain.

• Improving your hamstring resilience so you can get through your gym sessions, classes or five-a-side without pulling up each week.

• Working towards body composition goals like building muscle or losing weight.

Training has:

• Structure: A plan that builds progressively over time.

• Measurability: Sessions that track performance and give feedback.

• Progression: Workouts that gradually get harder, so your body adapts.

In short, training is a journey, not just a pit stop.

The benefits (and limits) of each

Let’s be clear...Neither is “better” — they just serve different roles.

• Exercising keeps you moving, improves mood and gives flexibility. It’s less pressure, often more fun and helps tick the health and wellbeing boxes.

• Training is how you reach specific goals, avoid plateaus and (importantly) reduce injury risk by building strength, mobility and resilience in a structured way.

But here’s the catch:

• If all you ever do is exercise randomly, progress can be slow and niggles may crop up.

• If all you ever do is train intensely without variety, you risk burnout or forgetting why you started in the first place.

The sweet spot? Using both.

Where injury and rehab fit in

This is where the difference really matters.

If you’re injured, exercising without structure can sometimes set you back. For example, heading out for “just a jog” on a sore Achilles might feel fine in the moment, but without progressive loading, you’re not actually helping the tendon recover — you’re just poking the bear.

Training, on the other hand, means:

• Starting with what you can do.

• Progressing load gradually.

• Meeting specific criteria before moving on.

That’s how you get back to your chosen activity faster...and stay there.

But… exercise still has its role. Walking, cycling gently, swimming, even mobility flows can all help keep you sane and fit while you’re rehabbing. It doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.”

Real life examples

• The exerciser: “I’ll go for a run a couple of times a week if I fancy it. Sometimes it’s 2 miles, sometimes 6. I enjoy it, but I don’t really know if I’m getting better.”

• The trainer: “I’m following a plan to build from 5K to 10K. Each week I’ve got one interval session, one longer run and one strength workout to support it.”

• The exerciser in the gym: “I’ll do a bit of chest, some legs if the squat rack is free, then finish with abs.”

• The trainer in the gym: “I’m working through a 6-week block of progressive strength training that focuses on improving my squat and deadlift, so I can be stronger for my classes, my weight-loss journey or my weekend football.”

See the difference? Both are moving. Both are valuable. But the outcomes will look very different six months down the line.

Finding your balance

Here’s the important part: you don’t have to pick one side forever.

• Use exercise when you want to de-stress, move for the joy of it or just tick the “I’ve done something today” box.

• Use training when you’ve got a specific goal — whether that’s completing a race, building muscle, losing weight or returning to your chosen activity without fear of breaking down again.

In fact, many people get the best results when they blend both: train with intent most of the time, but keep exercise in the mix for variety and enjoyment.

The takeaway

Training and exercising are two sides of the same coin. One gives you direction, the other gives you freedom. One builds your future, the other keeps you present.

So next time you move, ask yourself: Am I exercising, or am I training? And which one do I need today?

If you’re not sure — or if you’re stuck on the injury merry-go-round — that’s where I come in.

Book yourself in for a consultation or simply follow me on Instagram for weekly movement wins and rehab advice.