If we still lived in the wild, our natural state, exercise would be as instinctive as breathing. If we weren't industriously finding food, building shelters, and fighting off predators, we would not survive.
 
Food was the reward for exercise. But not so today.
 
 
MODERNITY STANDS IN THE WAY
We have cleverly extracted ourselves from the natural state. Grocery stores, restaurants, grocery and meal delivery to the door, and countless packaged food options within arm's reach in cupboards and refrigerators make food too easy. And ease is our inclination.  
 
Modern life encourages laziness. The tendency of governments toward a vote-getting nanny state, where citizens get more and more for less and less, doesn't help either. Mind got us into this predicament, mind can get us out.
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SO MANY BENEFITS
Exercise brings so many benefits that make life worth living. It lifts mood, grows and maintains muscle, strengthens bones and joints, helps flexibility, deepens sleep, improves appearance, provides goals to achieve, sharpens focus, relieves stress, and increases self-esteem. It helps us feel alive, ambitious, youthful, and prevents and reverses disease. There is virtually no measure of well-being that exercise doesn't improve
 
 
MIRRORS AND OPTIONS
Even regular brisk walks, vigorous housework, lawn and garden activity, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, playing with the kids or grandkids, bicycling or walking to work, and even preparing meals and doing the dishes can be a workout.
 
No need for a scale or calorie counter. The mirror tells all. If you don't see the results you want, then adjust food intake and exercise output. Also, keep in mind that what the mirror says about our outside reflects the health of what's going on inside.
 
Demand nothing of ourselves, and we get nothing in return. If the shape we are in is sufficient to do an exercise without effort, then the body will stay as it is. On the other hand, if we challenge ourselves with exercise intensity, the body will respond with a new and more capable body.  
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PRINCIPLES
Exploring and testing exercise routines, setting goals, and trying to develop new or better physical skills keep it interesting and challenging. Stressing muscles two to three times a week can produce transformation. Easy, comfortable, and casual workouts (while sipping on sugared sports drinks and chatting) will produce bodies that look easy, comfortable, and casual--but can feel miserable.
 
Resistance to movement creates benefits in a shorter time. Barbells, dumbbells, machines, or the body itself (pushups, pull-ups, squats, etc.) create a load beyond normal and call for body improvement. If weight loss is the goal, more muscle means more calories are being burned at rest.
 
Women need not worry about becoming bulky; their hormonal profile makes that unlikely. But they can gain strength, bone density, agility, and a toned, shapely look—all while reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
 
Men using high weights to pack on Herculean slabs of muscle put themselves at risk over time. Repetitive stress on joints, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons can result in arthritis and other limiting joint and spine issues. Staying power in an exercise program is the key. Body weight exercises are safer for lifelong fitness and can still deliver excellent results.

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AEROBIC RULES
Aerobic exercises are important for heart and lung strength. But that can be overdone too. Long-distance running and other repetitive high-impact activities on hard surfaces create wear and tear. The result is bone, cartilage, joint, ligament, and tendon injuries, and eventual arthritis. It's safer to do a series of short sprints barefoot on grass or sand. Sprinting on an inclined resistance treadmill is a good option when grass, sand, and sun aren't available.
 
Any number of other exercises can be aerobic if they are done at high intensity for short periods. Although pushing toward the limits once in a while may help increase exercise capacity, doing it too often can, over the long term, have the opposite effect. Pushing too hard, too often, can be counterproductive. Extreme exercise creates oxidative stress—free radicals that damage tissue, suppress immunity, and accelerate aging. Like sparks from an overfed fire, they can burn the house down.

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SPORT IS A GREAT MOTIVATOR
A more fun and social form of exercise is sports. Meeting people, learning sportsmanship, and having fun are healthy things to do. It motivates us to improve, and to do that, we need to train.
 
But the fun and challenge of sports can lead to excess stress on certain parts of the body from repetitive movements and impacts. Learning proper techniques and recuperating are critical.
 
Learn from me. I've played, trained, and overdone it in multiple sports. Oblivious to long-term consequences, play is now limited by the injuries that have accrued. The enthusiasm and resiliency of youth and the fun and challenge of sports blinds us to the damage that may be occurring.
 
 
HOW TO DEAL WITH AGING
Make accommodations for age, but not before it's necessary. No 'too old' excuses before your time. Fitness and athleticism can be for a lifetime. Nevertheless, with time, everything does wear and become more fragile. The body at 70 cannot be forced to be what it was at 18, regardless of exercise and diet.
 
In youth, the body exceeds the mind. In age, the mind must lead the body.
 
With age, the line between helpful and harmful exercise narrows. The goal should shift from maxing out performance to preserving function, avoiding injury, and staying active.
 
 
THINK LONG TERM
Staying power is the key. Exercise for life and for health. Don't chase fast results with reckless effort that can cause injury and then leave you limited and disinclined to exercise.
 
The human body is a gift and a responsibility. It's a moral duty to take care of it. If you don't, where else will you live?
 
Use the wisdom of our natural design. Exercise like it matters, because it does. Challenge yourself, commit, eat smart, and try to be the best your body can be. Enjoy the health that results and the wonderful, feel-alive dimension that is added to life by being fit and capable.