Americans deserve a healthy salute. Years ago we were told that there was a way to be healthy and live forever. We ran to find the answer and kept it close to our chest. The secret was whispered from ear to ear and eventually it was shouted from the mountain tops by big celebrity stars. "Exercise, my friends. Exercise those muscles. You know you're getting healthier and
stronger when those muscles start to burn. Feel that burn1x And I will help you. Just buy my exercise tape for $24.99."

We Americans grabbed onto that concept and held it fast in our hearts. Being healthy forever was no longer beyond our grasp.

Exercise tapes were sold by the millions. We bought memberships to our new holiest of shrines, "The GYM." Millions of Americans were exercising everyday: aerobics, jogging, stepping. Americans were feeling themselves getting stronger and healthier. No pain, no gain1x Feeling that burn straight into the 21st century1x Go for it, people1x Yes, millions of us were feeling that burn all right. Feeling that burn all the way into the nearest emergency room.

I always thought that pain and burning of a body part was usually a sign of damage. That's what Mrs. McKenna taught me in seventh grade. Yet, we were encouraged by some exercise gurus to ignore our body's warning signals. Look, I'll be honest with you. I'm a bit on the lazy side and exercise is most definitely not my favorite past time. I'd rather just sit and read. I also don't like pain, burning or otherwise. Limping around is not my idea of health. I have friends who brag about their damaged knees as if they were medals of honor. "Yep, yep, yep. There I was in my 23rd K of my 25K run and the ol' knee just buckled. Yeah, I was feeling some pain for a couple of days, but I figured, so what? No pain no gain, am I right or am I right?" I am not impressed.

Please don't misunderstand me. I exercise all right, just about every day in fact. I just never feel the burn. There are lots of ways to exercise and live to tell about it at the end of the day. The most basic way is to take it slow. If you haven't exercised for a few years don't try to catch up with it in one day. And even if you have been exercising, try taking it easy on yourself. Walk, ride a bicycle, take the stairs instead of an elevator, and get off the train a stop before you usually do. But we all know that, right? Then why are so many of us still hurting our bodies? Why do we continue to torture and injure ourselves in the name of health and longevity? Do I really have to mention that we should all get our doctor's thumbs up before we start on an exercise program? I didn't think so, but we all still seem to want to go for the gold, only to wind up wearing black and blue.

I live right by a beach and a boardwalk. For fun I take a walk and watch all the joggers feeling the burn and practically collapsing on the spot. I see the young go-getters pushing themselves past the point of exhaustion. I also notice that many other members of my strolling set are quite advanced in age. The elderly walkers are the survivors of the years. I rarely see an old runner, but there are lots of old walkers, and I've decided to take my cue from that set. Nice and easy does it. I someday hope to become an old walker.

These links are full of topics on the benefits of exercise. There are links to walking, taking care of and pampering your body, exercise injuries, and lots more to keep you healthy.

Obesity is filled with topics on the benefits of exercise. There are other links about walking, getting physical, pampering your feet, exercise injuries.

Health gate explains the benefits of walking and it explains why it is the best exercise to avoid injuries.

American heart gives you some wonderful stretching exercises so you won't end up limping around afterwards. There are also different kinds of exercises that can be done besides walking -- like dancing.

By Sharon Katz