Exercise – Just Do It!

Did you know it takes less than an hour a day to be lean, fit, alert, energetic, healthy and optimistic for decades to come?

Nature is not a treadmill at the gym. It’s an ever-changing physical environment, so it should come as no surprise that a variety of different exercises and intensities do more good than a single, unvarying routine. Nature’s rule is simple – do something real everyday. Whether the exercise is long, slow and steady (an hour or two of vigorous walking) or shorter and more intense (running, swimming or using the exercise machines at the gym) is a lot less important than the “dailyness” of it, six days a week. So experiment with a variety of aerobic exercise and find an outdoor sport that you like: biking, kayaking, or hiking. Keep your heart rate in the high aerobic zone at the gym and in the low aerobic zone while exercising outside and you’ll get great results.

The sooner you start in life the better the payoff. It may seem exhausting to fit exercise into your crazy work schedule, but that’s looking at it backward. We are not tired at the end of the day because we get too much exercise. We are tired because we don’t get enough exercise! We are mentally, emotionally and physically drained from being sedentary. Study after study shows that we function better, with more satisfaction and less sleep when we’re fit. If you put any value at all on your quality of life, the time your spend exercising becomes a bargain.

When it comes to exercise, “I can’t afford it” is not a valid excuse. Check out some of the following ways to cut your gym bills or ditch them all together by exercising at home.

Try out as many gyms as you can before committing. Most facilities will happily give you a free day or a week pass for a tryout.

If you have a local YMCA near you that may be your best gym option. It doesn’t have to be a big fancy gym, even your local fitness center may have all you need and is usually easier on the wallet.

If there is a university in your area perhaps they offer a discount for the community members.

There are also many video programs or online programs if you are committed to working out at home.

Beachbody on Demand has a wonderful selection of workouts available online or you can purchase various workout DVDs. Everything from Yoga to Hard Core!

Make a commitment to start exercising today, even a 20 minute walk each day will help your body and your mind!