Here’s the problem: some of us don’t exercise, some of us do but we dread it, and many of us make it something that is a struggle to fit into our day. And these are the main reasons we are overweight, chronically stressed and dying of diseases caused by inactivity.

Here’s the surprisingly simple solution: find something you love. Anything that’s more physically active than sitting will help lower your risk for chronic disease, but something that makes you breathe hard will actually improve your aerobic fitness (which is super important for firefighter health and safety…more on that topic later). And by doing activities that elevate your breathing you’re guaranteed to look better (you have a healthy weight) and feel better (you have more energy and your health problems go away) in addition to that low risk for chronic disease.

Take my husband (a firefighter) for example. If a workout doesn’t involve chasing a ball he dreads doing it. I could not pay him enough to go running just for exercise. But city league soccer only happens once a week, if that, so that wasn’t quite cuttin it. His solution? (with a little prompting from me:) Find a racquetball partner. He can organize a game pretty easy and supplement soccer with another form of exercise that he really enjoys.

So here’s why you don’t have to dread going to the gym and sweating it out on the elliptical: your body doesn’t know or care whether you’re on a treadmill, a basketball court or the top of a mountain…as long as you’re breathing hard you’re improving your aerobic fitness and reaping all the killer benefits of exercise!

I want to hear from you. In the comments below, tell me a) what your favorite form of exercise is and/or b) something you’re going to try now that you know it totally “counts”

If you’re not on my list to get more health tips like these, enter your name and email below.