How to Get Fit & Have Fun With Exercise

We are a species that evolved on the move: hunting and gathering and, later, herding and harvesting, all by the sweat of the human brow. Though many human tribes still pursue such activities on a daily basis, in affluent countries the bulk of the population sits on the way to work, sits at work for eight or more hours, sits on the way home, sits at the dinner table and then in front of the television, and finishes off the day by lying down in bed.

In between, we do everything possible to use the fossil fuels the world is short of and to conserve the personal fuel (calories) so many of us have to considerable excess. We drive or ride; take elevators and escalators; use power mowers, electric hedge clippers, golf carts, laundromats, dishwashers, food processors, plug-in cornpoppers-the list of labor-saving devices could fill a Sears catalog.

None of which means you should give up the devices that have taken over life's drearier tasks and freed you to do better things with your time. But if you are not going to get your needed amount of exercise in carrying out the chores of daily life, then you should be programming activity into your days in other ways. Either you must set aside time each day for a concentrated period of exercise, or you must incorporate more activity into your daily routines. Preferably, both.

Exercise

Exercise is the best way I know to get something for nothing (or next to nothing). It is an all-around tonic for body and mind. The physical and psychological benefits of exercise could go a long way toward reducing the need formedical care and improving the quality of life in your life, whether you're ten, twenty, fifty, or eighty.

That doesn't mean, however, that you should plunge right into the activity closest at hand without a further thought. Exercise has risks as well as benefits, and to minimize those risks, you must choose your activities wisely, learn the proper techniques, observe safety precautions, and make sure your body is in shape to handle the stresses involved.

How to Get Fit & Have Fun With Exercise