Just say the word out loud: exercise. What reaction did you have? What pictures formed in your mind? Was it spandex clad women dancing to an aerobic beat? A tennis match? A soccer game? In truth, exercise can be any of those things—or none of them. Exercise simply means movement.

Our ancestors walked great distances to forage for food, climbed trees to pick fruit, swung a heavy axe to chop firewood, and engaged in many hours of manual labor. Today, we forage on the shelves of the local grocery store, hop into our air-conditioned cars, work while seated at desks, and drive home for an evening in front of the television.

I don’t want to return to the days of chopping firewood, hauling water from a well and spinning my own cloth. But the human body needs to move in order to function well…and for people to feel great.

Exercise doesn’t have to take place in a gym or a dance studio unless that’s what you love to do. Gentle, simple exercises are fine. Just get out and move. Take a walk in the sunshine. Rake leaves instead of hiring someone to do it. Go play jump rope or ride bikes with your children. Movement helps our bodies function the way nature intended them to.