IT'S LESS ABOUT "EXERCISING," and more about just increasing physical activity. We're beginning to move away from the traditional concept of exercise where you "carve out" a piece of your day, three to four times a week, to change clothes, do your exercise routine, change back, etcetera, etcetera. This "carve-out" can take up to an hour a day and many people don't do it because its too hard to devote an hour a day, four times a week, exclusively to exercise.
Now, the movement is toward making physical activity part of your daily routine. For example, riding a bicycle to work, turning social "get togethers" into walking "get togethers," getting off a bus a few stops early and walking 15 minutes to your destination and then walking back to the same stop at the end of the day, and even turning a Neighborhood Watch into a walking group. On top of all that, many people are also beginning to realize that you don't need a health club membership, exotic equipment, complicated aerobics routines, workout tapes or specialized clothing to get fit. While these things may be helpful, especially to get you started, all you really need to get and stay physically active is a good pair of shoes and creative scheduling!
IT'S EASIER than ever to get it done. New research tells us that accumulating 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity, three to four times a week, gives us nearly as much health benefit as going 30 continuous minutes. In other words, on any given day you can be physically active for 15 minutes in the morning and again for 15 minutes in the evening, and you get practically as much of a workout as if you had done one session for a full half hour. This makes it easier to fit 30 total minutes of physical activity into your day.
IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER to be physically active. The Surgeon General stated emphatically that "physical inactivity is a major public health problem in the U.S." We already knew that being physically active and fit had many benefits; especially in avoiding obesity and a weak heart and lungs, but did you know that it's one of the best ways to improve your mood and self-image, avoid some forms of cancer, keep your bones strong as you get older and simply give you more energy to do other things.
