Exercise is one of the most important parts of our lives in keeping fit and leading a healthy lifestyle.

But it can be easily overlooked with many of us finding excuses not to work out instead of reasons to get in shape.

One man is now looking to change all that — Gareth Dixon, co-founder of Divine Services, a personal training outfit, wants to promote the benefits of a good work/life balance and sound exercise regime.

Mr. Dixon leads a double life — working out with his clients during the day and hitting the streets as a reserve police officer to keep the peace and apprehend villains in the evening.

"I find the combination of the two works quite well," he said. "Because you need to be healthy and to be able to carry out your duties as a police officer and also be assertive and able to tell your clients what to do."

Mr. Dixon studied Leisure Management with Sport at Buckinghamshire University College, covering the principles and procedures of sports coaching as well as getting into weight training, and graduated with a degree from Brunel University in 1998.

On completion of his course, he decided to work as a lifeguard for Butlin's Holiday Camp for one summer, before returning to his home town of Nottingham to take on a job as a leisure attendant in a leisure centre and then moving on to become a personal trainer at a hotel for six to seven months, working with the likes of the Pakistan cricket team during the Cricket World Cup in 1999 (who went on to reach the final against Australia) and dancer Wayne Sleep among others.

"I thought that it sounded like an ideal course to do because I had already been working in leisure centres and sports facilities and had quite an interest in working with people of all ages and backgrounds," he said.

"It was a good fun time at Butlin's — I had to fish out a few people but thankfully we didn't have any serious incidents or anything like that."

Then the opportunity came up to move to Bermuda to work as an aerobics instructor in 2000 when Mr. Dixon's uncle, who had lived on the Island for 25 years, told him that one of his clients — the Olympic Club — was on the lookout for someone to fill the post, so he took an aerobics course and the next thing he knew was on a plane out here.

During his time with the gym, he spent most of his time working at one of its franchises — the Bank of Bermuda gym — where he focused on corporate training and helping businessmen to bust some of their executive stress.

"I really enjoyed working with the people there — it was really nice," he said. "It was a change from what I had done before, but it was good."

After three years sweating it out in the gym, Mr. Dixon decided the time was right to branch off on his own and set up in business in 2004 with Bermudians Paul Harney and Barry Gibbons, with the trio complementing each other through Mr. Harney's recreation skills for the exercise side and Mr. Gibbons' background as an accounts manager helping to do the books.

Their main line of work was in personal training and group fitness training, with Mr. Dixon working with clients of all ages and abilities, from top sportsmen to disabled athletes, including wheelchair users, and seniors, often all in the same class, while also offering advice and tips on nutrition and diet.

"I wanted to target those areas that may not necessarily have an opportunity to work out or do exercise in this kind of environment," said Mr. Dixon.

"It is all about adapting to meet everyone's needs while working together as a group or individually."

Mr. Dixon and Mr. Harney have recently launched an all-inclusive activity programme called 'Fit Kids' for schoolchildren at TN Tatem Middle School in Warwick, which the former describes as "enrichment work", ranging from an after-school work out to lunchtime games and sports, such as street tennis in the courtyard, frisbee, chess and Connect 4, in a bid to get kids out of trouble and keep in trim at the same time as improving their behaviour and mindset.

A typical day in the life of a personal trainer may involve getting up at 7 a.m. to work with a client at the Bermuda Police gym and then coaching a group of seniors in their home during the morning, before running the lunchtime activities for the pupils, going back to the gym for further client appointments and wrapping up with the after-school programme in the evening.

Mr. Dixon reckons motivating people is often one of the biggest challenges he faces in his day-to-day work, but he said the rewards they enjoy are much greater than the effort they have to put in.

Among his most satisfying accomplishments, Mr. Dixon cites helping a client to train over a five-month period to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, incorporating a gruelling schedule focused on balance, ascending steps and doing numerous pull-ups, as well as working out at a high anaerobic rate to simulate the altitude conditions, and inspiring a group of seniors to go on a hiking expedition to Australia's Outback, as some of his biggest achievements to date. His other claims to fame include coaching Bermuda's wheelchair basketball team and the Mariners RFC women's team, running the Paget Island drum line camp and holding the warm-up session for the Bermuda End-to-End race.

Alongside his day job, Mr. Dixon also pulls on his Police uniform after hours on call anytime between 6 p.m. and 12 a.m., having joined the force in 2005 and taken part in a number of events, including an exchange trip to Michigan last year, where he went up in a Police helicopter, was assigned to a series of special operations and underwent sniper training — an experience he will never forget.

"I think the main thing I enjoy is working together as a team and making an arrest," he said.

"I got involved in the Police force because I wanted to make a difference in the community and make the streets safer — I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes to work in the community with groups."

In the future he hopes to put together a fitness programme for the Police reserves, to fully promote the 'Fit Kids' programme, to seek sponsorship for the gym his company runs for pupils, teachers and parents at the school, and to expand the business overall.

Working in the field of exercise every day, Mr. Dixon loves nothing better than to keep himself in shape, competing in various triathlon events across the Island, and he is also an active squash and tennis player, as well as taking the plunge and swimming across Harrington Sound with 'The Rehab Group' early on Saturday mornings, come rain, wind or shine.

Mr. Dixon said a lot of exercise was about mind over matter and having the right attitude towards working out by motivating yourself at the same time as encouraging those around you to do better for themselves.

"We are all very good at making excuses, but when you look at it, it is not that much to ask to exercise three or four times a week for 45 minutes to one hour and to see the results," he said.

"Exercise is just a form of preventive medicine and I think people are becoming more aware of looking after the state of their health.

"Do what suits you best — don't restrict yourself to the four walls of a gym, get out and do some walking and outdoor activities — and, above all don't get discouraged, keep a positive attitude and stay focused on the goals you want to achieve."