LIKE most lawyers, I am fascinated by human nature.

No two people are the same, but any professional dealing with individual client or patient problems can detect patterns of behaviour and likely reactions to particular scenarios.

We have free will, but are susceptible to influences that shape our conduct.

So why do I make such a philosophical point?

I am no scientist, that's for sure. At school I was hopeless at maths, and gave up physics and chemistry in first year.

The law drew me not only because I was familiar with it through my father's work, it seemed to be a discipline that played to my strengths - language, with writing of correspondence and deeds, communication, interacting verbally with lawyers and clients; and practical problem-solving - how do you help a separating couple, or prove your client didn't break into a house.

What I was not prepared for was the psychology course I was embarking on.

I assumed a client would come in, tell me their issues, facts and requirements and I would examine the law to see what the solution may be. Wrong.

Clients come in and tell you a story for sure, but that is only a tiny part of what is in play.

As experience developed, I found you need to listen not only to the words spoken, but also unspoken, to hear tone of voice, inflection, mood, anxiety level.

And visual clues. How is the person dressed? What is their posture and body language? Do they come alone or with someone? What do they really want?

These are among the essential diagnostic tools. Getting to recognise and apply them is central to the success of a lawyer, and other counselling professions, such as doctor, or proper psychologist instead of legal/pseudo one.

A decent lawyer learns about that tension between free will and external drivers that has brought a client to an unwanted position, and how to move the client to resolution.

The lawyer learns something else - that he or she is no different from these clients with personal problems.

My interest in human nature goes beyond a little office in Giffnock.

Last week I had the chance, wearing my hat as a governor of Glasgow Caledonian University, to join a visit to its Health and Life Sciences School (www.gcu.ac.uk/hls), and attended fascinating labs and clinics.

Indeed, to break off from the psychology treatise, we were shown practical applications of 3D printing to see how the School is at the cutting edge globally of this technology, manufacturing, amongst other things, custom-fitted insoles.

These were for therapeutic purposes, but regular readers will recall my vain attempts to buy such a thing for the injured right foot when training for the Belfast marathon.

I have got their number for London training.

One project that caught my eye was the Active Living team working with older people on sitting habits, working out how to balance relaxation and comfort of an elderly person sitting, as against the need for exercise and movement to preserve the utility of limbs and joints - to connect on through to mental fitness and agility, and increase and prolong enjoyment of life while not needlessly distressing the vulnerable.

This was a complex mixture of physical testing, psychological analysis, and practical application.

The academics and students were all dedicated to the project but also to the real people in the research.

So that rather long introduction brings me to my central theme: how can we proceed with health and fitness when instinct - especially in middle-age with an exhausting workload - is to collapse into a chair and glug wine?

How to control weight, improve heart and lungs, muscular fitness, mental freshness?

In a sense it is now easy for me. I have researched myself, found what is wrong, worked out what is needed and am more or less applying it. That does not make me better than anyone else. I am all too aware of my shortcomings.

But in an age where there are so many ways to save labour, where the State can stop us having to exert ourselves to live, where the private sector provides endless ways to allow ourselves to be pampered, how do we harness human nature to stand above the fleshpots and make the right choices?

It would make a terrific project for my colleagues in the Health and Life Sciences School. But for now, each of us should self-research. If we get enough single choices to turn our physical lives around, then one day we will all of a sudden find that those doing proper academic work count the number of those with obesity, heart conditions, diabetes, mental health issues, and find we are no longer in epidemic. The longest journey starts with the first step.