By Ryan Lee

Ok, you've probably heard by now exercise is good for you. I'm not going to spend time going over all of the benefits-- I want to cut to the chase. (Update! Dr. Mercola recently mentioned exercise can slash your risk of cancer.)

So if exercise is so good for you, why isn't everyone doing it? And for those that do exercise-- why aren't they getting better results if they're spending an hour or more in the gym?

During this ongoing series, I will share with you my secrets for creating an effective exercise program that literally takes just minutes a day.

But here's a warning. Some of the tips and strategies I'm going to reveal might go against what you've heard before. I'm not going to tell you 'just gardening 15 minutes a day' counts as 'exercise.' If that hogwash many health care professionals have been preaching for a decade were actually true-- we would not have a rising obesity epidemic.

And I'm not going to be talking about 'aerobics.' My exercise programs do not require spending an hour or even 30 minutes on aerobic exercise. Truth be told, I was a sprinter in college and start to break out into a rash every time I hear the word 'aerobic training.' In fact, most of my exercise routines take less than 12 total minutes.

Some of the special workouts will require you to actually break a sweat-- but I do promise you'll see results in about 80 percentless time than going to the gym or walking on a treadmill.

You will improve your health, energy levels and you'll have more time to do what you want to do (spend more time with family, friends, reading, etc.).

Stay tuned next week for Part II-- you're gonna love the ride!

Ryan Lee is a fitness expert who's helped over 100,000 people get fit through his training programs, workshops, coaching and online training. He's the founder Quatro Fitness: 'The World's Fastest Workout' program.

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

I am very excited to announce that we have a new partner in our efforts to offer you practical tools to implement your exercise program. I met a personal trainer, Ryan Lee, in Washington DC earlier this year and was amazed by his enthusiasm and practical program that he developed.

He is making quite a dent across the country. I have personally been using his four-minute exercise program to supplement my own cardio workouts and have been amazingly impressed. Not only are his workouts simple and easy to perform, but they are easily fit into most everyone's lifestyle as they only take four minutes!

But let me warn you that if you do get this program it would be wise to only do it for two minutes the first few times. I know you are thinking, how could four minutes of any exercise possibly make you sore? Just trust me on this one. Do the exercises for two minutes initially and you can always increase them later.

I personally do these exercises on the days I am not running.

Author's Bio: 

This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test" to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this quick test!