Get Moving!

You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to reap the health benefits of exercise.

- By Emily Kane, ND, LAC

Q I don’t like to exercise but I know I would be healthier if I did. Is there an alternative?

Well, saunas produce sweat, which is one of the many benefits of exercise. But they don’t tone your heart and other muscles, which is imperative for good health and graceful aging. To put it plainly, we need to move our bodies to achieve optimum health. But there’s a wide variety of options as to how we do it. So maybe we just need to rethink what we mean by “exercise.”

The Best Way to Start

If you don’t like “exercise,” start with walking. As famous cardiologist and vegetarian Dr. Dean Ornish likes to say, “Walk your dog every day, even if you don’t have one.” If walking doesn’t work for you, try seated yoga or mini-barbell workouts. It feels good to have toned muscles—and it looks good too!