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Occupational therapist Kevin Shelley says walking and four simple strength-and-mobility exercises can help people who dislike exercise begin building an achievable routine without the intimidation of conventional workouts.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.

For people who understand the benefits of exercise but still dread the thought of working out, beginning with movements that feel manageable rather than demanding may provide a more sustainable path toward becoming active.

Licensed occupational therapist Kevin Shelley, who has more than 30 years of experience in major healthcare settings, outlined that approach in his Feb. 28, 2026, article, “5 Exercises for the Exercise-Averse,” which was updated March 12.

Shelley said years of rehabilitation work introduced him to patients who were not confused about whether physical activity was beneficial. They simply disliked doing it.

Some are discouraged by aches and pains, while others find the temporary weakness, difficulty or sense of inadequacy associated with beginning exercise unpleasant enough to avoid it altogether. Rather than demanding that such people suddenly embrace conventional workouts, Shelley recommended lowering the barrier to participation.

His approach centers on five familiar movements — walking, planks, chair squats, standing overhead presses and standing arm swings — that can be performed without elaborate routines or extensive equipment.

The objective is not merely to complete the exercises, but to gradually change a person’s relationship with physical activity by making movement tolerable and potentially enjoyable.

Shelley advised people to consult a medical provider before beginning to ensure the exercises are appropriate for their individual health and physical circumstances.

The strategy comes amid broader research linking regular movement with benefits throughout the body and brain. Physical activity has been associated with cardiovascular, metabolic and cognitive health, while research cited in natural-health reporting has suggested exercise “helps build a brain that not only resists shrinkage but also enhances cognitive abilities by promoting neurogenesis.”

Walking Offers a Simple Starting Point

Among Shelley’s five choices, walking requires the least introduction.

He described it as “a universal medicine,” emphasizing that ordinary walking moves nearly every joint in the body, provides an opportunity for fresh air and can improve a person’s mental state.

The basic routine begins with five minutes at a slow pace, followed by approximately 30 minutes of regular walking and another five minutes of slower movement to cool down.

Shelley did not prescribe a rigid speed. Instead, walkers can accelerate or slow down according to how they feel.

Mild stiffness and achiness may accompany activity, particularly for someone who has been sedentary, but Shelley advised against continuing into pain. He also discouraged approaching every walk with “grim-faced determination,” suggesting that a relaxed and enjoyable outing may make someone more willing to repeat the activity.

The value of walking also fits into a larger body of evidence concerning sedentary behavior.

A large scientific review cited by NaturalNews.com identified prolonged sitting, inadequate sleep and insufficient physical activity as “significant, modifiable risk factors for dementia in adults.”

Whitney Bowe similarly wrote in The Beauty of Dirty Skin that prolonged sitting “compromises metabolic health and increases the risk of premature death — regardless of age, body weight, or amount of physical activity.”

Such findings reinforce the possibility that simply replacing some periods of inactivity with walking can represent a meaningful change, particularly for someone unlikely to begin with more strenuous exercise.

Planks Build Strength Without Repetitive Movement

Shelley selected planks because they provide substantial core-muscle work without requiring constant movement.

That characteristic can make the exercise psychologically easier for someone who dislikes the repetitive exertion associated with traditional workouts.

To perform a plank, Shelley instructed exercisers to lie on their stomach with their feet approximately 1 foot apart, bend their elbows and position their forearms against the floor with their shoulders above their elbows.

The core muscles are then tightened as the hips rise from the floor, keeping the body aligned rather than allowing the middle to sag.

Shelley recommended holding the position for one minute or longer as one repetition, completing three repetitions with approximately one minute of rest between efforts.

Those unable to maintain a full plank can allow their knees to lightly touch the floor while continuing to engage the core.

Although challenging, the exercise has a straightforward advantage for reluctant exercisers: Once the position has been established, there is little additional movement to coordinate.

Physical activity has also been studied for effects extending beyond muscle strength. Mike Adams, founder of Brighteon.com, said during a February 2024 broadcast that exercise “signals to the brain to produce more nerve cells” and discussed the role of growth factors such as IGF-1 in physical development and other biological processes.

Chair Squats Turn Sitting Into Strength Work

The chair squat may be particularly accessible because it begins with something most sedentary people are already doing: sitting.

Shelley said the movement can be performed using an ordinary chair, couch or loveseat and described it as requiring relatively little while providing a “great postural and muscular workout.”

The exerciser begins near the front edge of the seat with feet approximately shoulder-width apart and hands clasped near the chest.

From there, the person leans forward and slowly rises to standing without moving the hands. The return movement involves pushing the hips backward toward the chair while avoiding excessive forward movement of the knees.

Standing and returning to the seat constitutes one repetition.

Shelley recommended three sets of 12, but said shortened movements are acceptable for anyone unable to perform the complete range initially.

He also reduced the exercise to its simplest possible starting point.

“If you’re sitting somewhere and wondering whether you should exercise, all you need to do is stand up and sit back down to get started,” Shelley wrote.

That emphasis on incorporating movement into normal life may be particularly relevant given concerns about inactivity across age groups.

NaturalNews.com has reported research indicating that at least 75% of American teenagers fail to get sufficient daily exercise, with researchers associating inactivity with worsening obesity. Separate reporting examining sleep and activity has suggested that “minor increases in daily movement and sleep duration may be associated with reduced cardiovascular risk.”

Overhead Press Adds Upper-Body Work

Shelley’s standing overhead press introduces resistance training while remaining mechanically straightforward.

The exercise begins by standing while holding a weight with both hands in front of the chin.

The weight is slowly pressed upward toward the ceiling as far as is comfortably possible and then returned to the starting position.

One complete upward and downward movement counts as a repetition, with Shelley recommending three sets of 12.

People who find standing difficult can perform the exercise while sitting near the front edge of a chair and keeping the back upright.

Shelley described the movement as combining shoulder strengthening with cardiovascular effort because repeatedly moving a weight vertically against gravity can increase exertion.

He characterized the effect as an “unexpectedly delightful cardio component.”

Resistance exercise has also been investigated for broader health effects, including skeletal health. Research published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has examined the influence of resistance exercise on bone mineral density in premenopausal women.

Other literature has explored how physical activity affects systems not commonly associated with strength training. The Beauty of Dirty Skin, for example, discussed exercise in connection with skin metabolism and other physiological processes.

Arm Swings Combine Mobility, Balance and Movement

Shelley’s final exercise keeps the legs relatively stationary while using the upper body dynamically.

For the standing arm swing, the right foot is placed forward with the other foot behind it. With the elbows straight, the left arm sweeps upward as far as is comfortable while the right arm moves backward.

The middle portion of the spine rotates toward the arm traveling upward.

Shelley advised beginning cautiously and avoiding excessive shoulder strain before the joints and muscles have warmed.

One arm sweep counts as one repetition. His routine calls for three sets of 20 repetitions at a steady pace, with the forward leg alternated between sets.

The exercise can be modified extensively.

People with limited shoulder mobility can reduce the range of the arm movements. Those with balance difficulties can place their feet side by side at roughly hip width rather than using a staggered stance. Either foot can also be placed forward according to comfort.

Because the movement requires almost no specialized setting, Shelley said it can be performed almost anywhere a person happens to be standing.

People may discover that it feels surprisingly pleasant, he wrote — “maybe not like ‘exercise’ at all.”

That idea echoes recommendations to view movement as something extending beyond formal workouts.

The author of Unleash Your Natural Energy wrote that “any movement (even parking further from the mall entrance and walking the few extra steps) will improve your health.”

In This Book Could Save Your Life, Graham Lawton described how technological and social changes have steadily removed physical activity from daily routines. Reduced agricultural labor, widespread automobile use, labor-saving technology and home entertainment have helped bring modern populations toward what he characterized as a “collective standstill.”

Consistency Matters More Than Perfection

Shelley recommended performing the five exercises at least three times each week and ideally five, but cautioned against abandoning exercise altogether when that schedule proves unrealistic.

The underlying principle is flexibility rather than perfection.

Some people dislike exercising nearly all the time, while others experience that reluctance only occasionally, Shelley wrote, “and that is OK.”

Instead of waiting for motivation to suddenly appear, his strategy is to identify movement that feels achievable under a person’s current circumstances and begin there.

The wider problem extends beyond people traditionally considered uninterested in fitness. Sedentary lifestyles affect children and adults alike, and many people may have practical barriers to gym-based exercise.

In Health Care Meltdown, Bob Lebow described the United States as increasingly sedentary and questioned why so many Americans have become exercise-averse. He also noted that conventional fitness culture does not necessarily serve people with lower incomes, multiple jobs or limited access to gyms.

Shelley’s five-exercise approach largely removes those requirements. Walking requires little beyond a safe place to move, chair squats use existing furniture, planks need floor space, arm swings require no equipment, and overhead presses can be performed using a manageable household weight.

His larger message is that people do not need to become enthusiastic athletes before they can benefit from movement.

A person who dislikes exercise can begin with tolerable activity, modify movements according to ability and gradually build consistency. For people whose strongest obstacle is simply not wanting to exercise, reducing the difficulty of starting may itself be the most important first step.

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Source: Natural News
Original article