"No TIME to exercise!"

When can you exercise? It is recommended that everyone should try to fit in 30" of exercise every day to maintain good cardiovascular health, and to build muscle, which burns fat.

Here's the hard part. Already mentioned are the commuting and lunch times. Similarly, shopping and errands can help you incorporate more walking. To begin a regime you might get up 15" earlier or leave dishes to soak for 10" while you walk 5 minutes out and 5 minutes back. Look for times you can wiggle some "me" time for yourself. Just don't take your walks in the dark, alone, wearing dark clothing. If a friendly neighbour or close relative can't spare you 10-15 minutes of babysitting, then take the kid with you!

There are different types of exercise:

• aerobic - to improve stamina and your circulatory system, by improving oxygen intake by the cells. Examples include running, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing and playing sports.
• anaerobic or resistance - to build muscles and enhance their size, strength and endurance. Examples include weight training, sit-ups, pull-ups and push-ups, squats, rowing and sprinting.
• flexibility - stretching and bending to enhance movements of muscles and joints - stretching should be performed both before (to warm up muscles) and after (for proper recovery of muscles) other forms of exercise.

You need all three. However, do plan for the easiest to start - just walking. One lady started with one minute on a treadmill. Another started with 100 steps. I started by walking 5 minutes away from the house and walked back. Keep it simple. But DO IT every day for 3 weeks. Now you have begun.

One example of a simple plan for beginners is to walk slowly for 5 minutes, walk briskly for 5 minutes and walk slowly for 5 minutes. Do this for 5 days the first week. Then add 2 minutes to the brisk walking for the second week. Increase the brisk walking 2 minutes each week until you achieve 13 minutes of brisk walking. Continue to walk slowly 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after. If you find a level tiring, repeat it until it becomes easy.

The cardio or aerobic exercises the heart and lungs. The resistance or weight training exercises the muscles and they burn fat. And the stretches enable flexibility and prevent injuries.

By the third week, you will feel the effort of exertion and time will ease. Set yourself a new goal. A few more steps, a little more time. Keep on until it's easy then add two days a week of resistance work. Little by little you will feel better. Moderate exercise heals, reduces stress and slows aging.

Always maintain a minimum - make it your habit. There's plenty of information in books, CD's etc about how to do it: but make sure the information is current. Don't refer to Aunt Sadie's exercise tape from years ago, because ideas have changed for your body's benefit and using the latest methods is more likely to keep you from injury.

"That which is used develops and that which is not used, wastes away."-- Hippocrates

"Don't let your heart muscles and mind waste away!"-- Me

Note: Studies have found that exercise not only improves physical health, but also helps in treating depression and mental illnesses.

However, to much exercise without the proper diet may be harmful to health. If you exercise too much, and do not replenish nutrients, the body cells will start utilizing proteins from your muscles as their energy source. Risks of circulatory problems like stroke may increase. If you are pregnant, or if you have a medical complication, you should consult your physician prior to beginning any sort of exercise program, in order to help recognize and prevent any possible health risks.