If You're a Vata
You have low body weight, small muscles, and little strength and endurance. You move fast, are flexible, and like being active and doing new things -- but you also tend to work out until you're exhausted or you injure yourself.

Vatas are naturally drawn to fast-paced, intense activities like racquetball, aerobics, gymnastics, ballet, and jogging, but it's important to balance these with slower, gentler exercises. You need the least amount of daily exercise of all doshas: Aim for 20 to 30 minutes a day.

Best bets: Rollerblading, tai chi, strength training, bowling, golf, hiking, moderate-paced swimming
Walking: Gentle pace
Cycling: Touring (recreational biking)
Yoga: Mellow hatha or Kripalu yoga
Stick-with-it tip: Pace yourself to avoid the exhaustion that can aggravate your dosha.

If You're a Pitta
Your innate fire and passion make you very good at competitive sports but can also lead to dehydration and overheating.

Pittas tend to push themselves too hard and are drawn to individual activities where they're in the spotlight, like track-and-field sports or tennis. To balance this dosha, opt for cooling exercises that prevent heat exhaustion or team sports that help you share the limelight. You require a moderate amount of exercise -- about 30 to 45 minutes a day.

Best bets: Skiing, swimming, surfing, skating, hiking, karate, soccer, hockey, basketball
Walking: Moderate pace
Cycling: Mountain biking helps you focus on the process of cycling on rough terrain, not the goal of crossing a finish line.
Yoga: Moderate; avoid "hot" or power yoga
Stick-with-it tip: Try viewing exercise not only as a physical goal but also as a stress and tension release.

If You're a Kapha
You're strong and have the best endurance of all three doshas, but you need strenuous exercise to counteract your sedentary tendencies. Once you implement a regular and enjoyable routine to stay active, however, you'll stick with it.

Mellow activities such as walking and gentle yoga may appeal to kaphas, but to balance this dosha, you should try to include more stimulating activities. Get a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour a day.

Tips for Every Dosha
When exercising, keep these Ayurvedic tips in mind to maximize your workouts, regardless of your dosha.

Breathe Deep
According to Ayurveda, quick, shallow breaths through the mouth stress the body. Instead, extend your endurance by taking deep abdominal breaths through your nose, which can help spread much-needed oxygen to your muscles and other tissues.

Do It Outdoors
Make it a goal to find time to exercise outside at least a few days each week, even during the winter months. Although any workout is better than none, outdoor activities are preferable to indoor exercise because they expose you to fresh air and sunshine, which is considered balancing.

Make It Kapha Time
According to Ayurveda, the body's biological clock is regulated by the doshas. Morning (sunrise to 10 a.m.) is generally considered the best time to exercise because it's governed by kapha, which is characterized by strength and stamina. Other prime fitness hours are sunset to 10 p.m., when kapha time recurs. Avoid exercising in the middle of the day, when your capacity for activity naturally declines (noontime workouts that cause you to skip lunch can also interfere with digestion, leading to imbalance).

Go Halfway
Ayurveda's targeted, one-size-does-not-fit-all approach to fitness extends to the intensity of exercise. "Exercise should make you feel calm, balanced, and energetic," says Garivaltis. "If you feel exhausted after a workout, you're overdoing it."

In Ayurveda, that means exercising to only half of your total capacity, since feeling overtired, burned out, or even angry after a workout is believed to create imbalance. You'll know you've reached half of your physical limit when you need to breathe through your mouth, begin to sweat heavily, and start losing proper posture and form. "It's best to start slowly and build to a higher level of activity to avoid feeling fatigued," says Lonsdorf. "Stay in touch with how your body feels while exercising, and honor its needs."

Complimentary Exercise of the Day!

I truly believe in the importance of daily exercise, but like you, I also live in the "real" world. I am often told by my clients, potential clients, and friends the difficulties and challenges they face when trying to start in an fitness program. The most common, of course, being "time & money!" Geez, if I only had more time and more money...! Realizing this, I will personally upload a video to my site and to other social media venues, for you to utilize yourself or share with another. You can use these videos to help jump start a workout routine, or add to your existing workouts. 

My sincerest hope is that exercise and living a healthy lifestyle finds it's way into your lives and into your hearts!

If you would like a specific exercise video created and uploaded, please feel free to email me: questions@simply-well.org