I was at the gym the other evening, and I realized that if a time traveler from a hundred years ago, or even fifty years ago, were to pop in, he or she would be horrified. Rows of people on treadmills, clocking mile after mile and going nowhere. Evil climbing machines that replicate never-ending staircases. Copiously sweating beings, obviously subdued in an unnatural way, perfectly content to exhaust themselves in this barbaric manner. Such a visitor might think we were slaves, or at the very least, lowly workers in the bowels of a power plant, generating light and heat for our superiors.

But no, this is entirely voluntary torture. We even pay monthly fees for the privilege of turning into a sweaty mess. The payoff? A flatter stomach, defined deltoids, a license to wear spandex? Most women are happy if they can keep lungs and heart healthy, and body fairly toned.

As we get older, it becomes harder with each passing year to shift the ten winter pounds, so continuing commitment to exercise, any exercise, is essential. But it's hard to find the time to work out. Everyone is so busy, with jobs and families and friends. So how does the millennial woman manage to fit a workout into a frantic schedule?

Here's what I do. I work in a beautiful little town just north of San Francisco called Sausalito. About three lunchtimes a week, I change into sneakers and shorts and take off for the hills. A brisk hour-long walk covers about four miles. I don't run, because then I would be too damp to come back to work, but I still get my heart rate up and come back with a pleasant glow. By going at lunchtime, I don't spend too many of my precious evenings at the gym. And I feel good when I make it to the gym one or two times a week, knowing that I'm not being a total sloth the rest of the week.

I am lucky that my surroundings on these walks are so lovely, but even if you work in the middle of a city, or in an industrial park, a lunchtime walk can still be wonderful. Take a Walkman to block out the noise of traffic and stride to the beat, being extra careful of your surroundings.

Find a walking partner at work, someone you like, and you can encourage each other. It is also safer to walk with another person of course. But the best advantage if you walk with a friend is that you hardly feel that you're exercising; you can talk about your day, bitch about the boss, and get to know each other better.

In California, almost everyone I know is a member of a gym. But very few go as regularly as they would like. The fifty bucks charged to my Visa every month guilts me into going at least once a week. One way to get the gym out of the way is to go to go before work. Despite the supreme effort it takes to get up an hour earlier, it feels wonderful to get it out of the way first thing. And it actually energizes, rather than drains. It's like coffee without the jitters. I confess I don't do this anymore, because I would rather drink coffee in my bathrobe and watch Good Morning America. Well, who wouldn't?

I realize the necessity for exercise, but I don't think I'm alone when I say, despite how good I feel when I do make the effort, it remains an effort. I used to take a boxing class two evenings a week. I loved it, but then the instructor moved to another gym. I intend finding another class I enjoy and attending diligently, really I do. Maybe next week I'll check one out. Or maybe the week after.