Sure, this is really a semantics question, but I want to peel back the outside and get a layer deeper on this question. I've had to take about 10 days off of all real cardio due to an Achille's tendon issue, and it's really put in perspective what I've come to appreciate and what I've come to view as something I have to do.
I have been incredibly lucky lately to be able to commute under my own power (or "CUYOP" as I've called it, and want people hashtagging on Twitter!). That means every day I've gotten at least an hour of quality, outdoor exercise. On the days I've run (which includes a 4 mile bike ride), it's been more like an hour and a half. I really have come to appreciate it, not just for how it lets me get much more exercise into my day without sacrificing on other commitments (except my prior commitment to sit in traffic or be stuck on a disabled train), but also for how it gets me out there, breathing air, bobbing and weaving around traffic or other people, choosing dynamically where I go and what I do, etc. It also has allowed me to get a great unwind period after work before I get home. This - outside, working hard, enjoying the world, and actually moving vs. being stationary - is what I would call 'exercise'.
Exercise lets me run along the Thames or the Charles River (like in the pic below) and feel completely uplifted and inspired. How could you run in those settings and not feel that way? You look at Pacific Northwest trail running through the mountains or their gorgeous forests, and you see how inspired you'd be burning your calories there. Or you run in a more urban setting and people look at you impressed with your effort while you work various ancillary muscles as you negotiate pedestrians, cars, bikes, cross walks, etc. Complete, inspiring, holistic fitness.
The alternative to this is to be in my basement or at the gym, on a piece of cardio equipment, watching a show, reading a magazine or trying not to watch the clock tick down to zero while listening to music. It does the job (sometimes with more caloric burn), is convenient, and allows me to wear clothes I shouldn't be seen in public in (like compression gear without covering it up with shorts or a shirt) - caveat, I wear clothes in public that no one should have to see me in when I ride my road bike, so apologies to anyone who has seen me riding.
But there's something so much 'less' about working out. It's not that it's bad, but it just doesn't do for the mind what exercise does. As I've said before, I'm not about physique so much as total, holistic health. Whole body fitness, as I put it in a recent blog post. Sure, you can achieve your physical goals just fine with a piece of cardio equipment and some weights in a gym. Will you become a well-rounded, complete, fit person who isn't just physically an athlete, but feels like an athlete? Possibly, but not like you would by getting out and exercising. At least not as far as I'm concerned.
So, even if you are a gym rat, find even 15 minutes to go for a brisk walk (maybe parking away from the gym and walking there) to get some real, live, exercise. Breath the air. Look at your surroundings. Take it all in, get healthier inside and out, and truly enlighten.your.body.
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