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The cornerstone of physical health is good physical activity. Exercise helps to relieve stress, burn fat, and build muscle. What is your favorite method of working out and why?

I love to swim. It is by far my favorite physical activity. It's great for you. It's low impact, good for your heart, works most of your major muscles at once, and it's cool and refreshing. I feel great after a good swim. I also love the tone it gives my muscles. I just wish more pools were open in the winter.

      I'm a big fan of weight training for several reasons. First of all, since it's the most pure form of muscle building, it allows you to specialize whichever muscles you want to build. If you're a runner, for example, you may want to do weight training so that your legs are not disproportionately muscular compared to your torso.

      Also, while muscle strength isn't as beneficial to your overall health as heart strength, it helps you with all kinds of activities. I can't tell you how many times the strength I have acquired through weight training has saved me and others a great deal of time while moving furniture, renovating, etc. And you never know when you'll need to use your strength in emergency situations.

     Finally, weight training is one of the most effective ways to look fit. Having big muscles does more than just give you a good image; it also helps you maintain that image because more muscle mass equals a higher metabolism. So if you lack the time to get regular, well-rounded workouts, you may want to focus on weight training.
     When using weights, be aware of a few things. Weight training leads to all kinds of injuries if done incorrectly, so don't push yourself. For your safety, stretch before lifting weights, and keep in mind that the larger your muscles, the less flexible they become. Avoid exercises that stress your joints; it's not worth giving yourself life-long joint problems to get muscles that will atrophy over time. And don't overwork your muscles because if you do, they may not be able to repair themselves fast enough, and they may shrink; this is especially true if you don't get enough protein in your diet.

I like bike riding. You can do it slowly for fat burning or faster for a cardio/aerobic workout. You can also run errands on a bike, to the bank, grocery store, etc., which helps you get in shape and you aren't using a car which is better for the environment. Biking is faster than walking so the scenery changes quickly giving you more things to look at. You are outside so you are getting fresh air and sunshine, in the heat or cold. Rainy weather should be avoided, though. 

I like to pretend I'm in training for a triathlon. No, seriously, I daydream about this while running, cycling, and swimming. It makes the time go by a lot faster. And I always stretch during and after (though not before). Other than that, I consider getting my heart pounding from too much caffeine to be a good stand-in for cardio training.

 I am now very proud to say that I can join this discussion and say "walking". It's not the most effective or exciting way I could burn fat, but being able to walk 30-40 minutes a day is the start of something good to come for me. I really had to commit to working this into my schedule and I hope to work up to joining a local gym in the next few months, when it is too hot for me to walk outside in the middle of the day.