| ''Most people think of exercise as something that you should do, and it doesn't feel very good while you're doing it, and it's kind of a pain in the rear, and it takes too much time, and it hurts, but it's supposed to do all this great stuff.'' -Robyn M. Stuhr, exercise physiologist. Sound familiar? Well, what if you could actually enjoy exercise and look forward to it every day? Before you rush out and buy spandex leggings, stop, sit down, and ask yourself two questions, advises Ms. Stuhr, an exercise physiologist and health promotion specialist at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington: 1) What is my motivation for exercising? To feel more healthy, to get some time for yourself, to lose weight, to meet new people, maybe even to compete in a marathon! 2) What is my personal experience with exercise? The goal here is to discover the kinds of exercise you enjoy; the types of exercise that will give you a real psychological incentive to keep doing it. ''A lot of women get discouraged,'' she notes. When a certain type of exercise doesn't yield the right result, ''they either blame themselves because they don't think they did it well enough, or they think, 'This doesn't work.'' Making the right choices With a little clear thinking, you can choose exercise activities that fit who you are, and make the best use of your time. Here are some rules of thumb to help you get started: To improve your overall health: Accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity during each day: use stairs instead of elevators, park a few blocks from work and walk the extra distance at a brisk pace, go dancing, warm up on an exercise bike for 5 or 10 minutes a few times a day, play actively with your children. To improve your cardiovascular fitness and stamina: Exercise aerobically, at least 20-30 minutes three days a week, at your target heart rate or at a moderate intensity level that challenges your body. Aerobic exercise is steady, moderate, continuous exercise that uses the large muscles of your lower body. Brisk walking, jogging, cycling, cross country skiing, stationary cycling, and aerobic dance classes are all good aerobic activities. Stop-and-start sports, like tennis or racquetball, are not aerobic. To improve your bone health: Weight-bearing exercise, when the weight of your bones is carried by your body during exercise, is especially important to maintain healthy bones. Jogging and dancing are weight-bearing; swimming, while great for overall toning, is not weightbearing. Stuhr also emphasizes that so-called ''spot reducing'' - just exercising one part of your body to try and lose inches there - does not work. It's just a waste of your valuable exercise time. Making your body's muscles stronger - i.e., increasing your lean muscle mass - also slightly increases your metabolism and makes it more efficient. Further, stronger muscles give you stronger bones and joints, a benefit that becomes extremely important as you age. Gradual gain, no pain Once you've thought through your goals and chosen some exercise you like, make sure you follow the next rule of thumb: Start gradually. ''It's human nature - you just want to get there,'' Stuhr says. ''We usually have to hold people back at the start, instead of pushing them.'' This is not because women can't do it, she stresses. Women's cardiovascular systems can usually adapt quite well, but their musculoskeletal systems can break down if pushed too hard, too soon. ''It takes a little longer to get those joints and muscles and tendons and everything strengthened up.'' As a general rule, she says, ''I tell people not to increase the amount or distance by any more than 10 percent per week. Increasing your level of physical activity can really do wonders in combating fatigue, amazingly enough,'' Stuhr says. Women and men report that exercise helps them fall asleep easier and sleep better at night, and it gives them a higher feeling of energy during the day. Exercise can also help relieve stress, providing an outlet for the ''fight or flight'' physical response that stress induces. If your exercise program makes you feel fatigued - more than just a little tired - you're doing too much. Take it easier for a while, until you build your strength and stamina. And make sure you warm up before you exercise, to prevent injuries. | 
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