OK, so maybe you hate to exercise. Lots of people don’t have workout fever, and that’s OK. But you know that you should be more active, so what’s the least amount of exercise you can do to reap the most health benefits? Data shows that a half hour of exercise every day, including cardio and strength training, is best for cardiovascular health – some experts point to jogging at full speed for 3 miles as the perfect cardiovascular workout. But if donning running shoes and shorts isn’t your style, then there are other ways to get fit. Going slower doesn’t mean you’ll lose the race to fitness, so try some of these strategies. Slowing down might burn more calories than keeping up with that marathon runner. Try walking instead of running, jogging instead of sprinting. As long as you raise your heart rate to that target zone where you’re still burning calories, then you’ll still lose weight.

When doing cardio, take a break. Scientists found that men who took a 20-minute break in between long cardio sessions of 30 minutes apiece burned more fat than those who did cardio for 60 minutes straight. Even if you’re not training THAT long, it helps to take a break and a breath to deliver much-needed oxygen to your body. Can’t squeeze a 30-minute workout into your schedule? Try three 10-minute sessions, broken up throughout the day, whenever you like. It’s as easy as parking far away from your destination – five minutes of walking to and from your car knocks out one 10-minute session. Exercise – it’s easier than you think.