Staying Active

 Staying Active

Be physically active. Any activity’s better than none. Health benefits grow the more you do.

Exercise is one of those rare things where the hype actually meets reality. Next to not smoking, getting regular physical activity is arguably the best thing you can do for your health. It lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, and also can help control stress and boost mood. Plus, if moderate to vigorous, physical activity helps keep weight in check.
Best of all? It doesn't take marathon training to see real health gains. A 30-minute brisk walk on five days of the week is all most people need. Or you can do 25 minutes of more vigorous activity—jogging, step aerobics, or singles tennis, for example—three days a week. Or, you can do a combination of both. Getting any amount of exercise is better than none. The more you get, though, the better. But don't feel locked into running or walking. A lot of activities count as exercise: dancing, skating, gardening, cycling, scrubbing floors, washing the car by hand, playing with kids. Anything that gets you moving, really.  Don’t have the free time to go to the gym? Weave activity into your day by bicycling or brisk walking to commute to work, to go to the store, or to bring your children to school.
Cutting back on “sit” time is just as important as increasing “fit” time. Some ways to get you off your seat: Turn off the television, and catch up on chores or play with the kids. Stroll down the hall to chat with a colleague, instead of sending an email or picking up the phone. Walk or bike for errands instead of driving.

1. Choose activities you like. Pick activities you enjoy. A lot of different things count as exercise: dancing, walking, gardening, playing basketball. Choose whatever gets you moving.

2. Try a pedometer. Pedometers are cheap and easy to use. Best of all, they help you keep track of how active you are. Build up to 7,000 steps a day—or more.

3. Piece your workout together. You don't need to get all your exercise at one time. Ten minutes morning, noon, and night can give much of the same benefit as 30 minutes all at once.

4. Exercise with a friend. Finding a workout partner can help keep you on track and motivate you to get out the door.

5. Take lunch on the move. Don't spend your lunch time sitting. Grab a quick meal and hit the gym or go for a walk with coworkers.

Staying Active

Although there are no sure-fire recipes for good health, the mixture of healthy eating and regular exercise comes awfully close. Most of The Nutrition Source is dedicated to singing the praises of a good diet. This is where physical activity gets its due.

Regular exercise or physical activity helps many of the body's systems function better, keeps heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other diseases at bay, and is a key ingredient for losing weight. According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,  being physically active on a regular basis

• Improves your chances of living longer and living healthier
• Helps protect you from developing heart disease and stroke or its precursors, high blood pressure and undesirable blood lipid patterns
• Helps protect you from developing certain cancers, including colon and breast cancer, and possibly lung and endometrial (uterine lining) cancer
• Helps prevent type 2 diabetes (what was once called adult-onset diabetes) and metabolic syndrome (a constellation of risk factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes; read more about simple steps to prevent diabetes)
• Helps prevent the insidious loss of bone known as osteoporosis
• Reduces the risk of falling and improves cognitive function among older adults
• Relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves mood
• Prevents weight gain, promotes weight loss (when combined with a lower-calorie diet), and helps keep weight off after weight loss
• Improves heart-lung and muscle fitness
• Improves sleep