BY: Joann Bally CSCS
So let's say you're one of those people who hates the idea of formal
exercise. Or maybe an aerobics class sounds like fun, but there isn't
one that fits into your schedule. Let's say you believe that exercise
is really good for you. (The evidence really is hard to ignore.) You
know it helps prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes,
and
some cancers. You know it will give you more energy and relieve
stress.
You know it will help you lose weight and look better. But you still
aren't about to climb into a Spandex leotard and head for the nearest
gym.
There's good news for you. Activity, rather than formal exercise,
can
be beneficial, and it's not too hard to get enough. Here's the
recommendation form the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):
"Every US adult should accumulate 30 minutes or more of
moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all,
days of the week." (Journal of the American Medical Association,
Feb. 1, 1995, pp. 402-407)
This prescription (nicknamed "exercise lite") will give you most of
the
health benefits of exercise, although it will not give you a high
level
of fitness. That requires working harder. But for many, if not most,
women, achieving the health benefits is what you really want to do.
So what constitutes moderate exercise? The most common would be
walking
at about 15 minutes per mile. So your 30 minutes would take you 2
miles. If you can't walk that fast, go the 2 miles anyway, but take
longer. Try to work up to the 15 minute (moderate) speed. If you can
go faster, or if you're a runner, your exercise is "vigorous," and if
it
works for you, do it. Don't drop back to moderate if you can do more.
And this 30 minutes is total. If you can do it all at once, that's
better, but if all you can do is work in two 15-minute chunks, or
three
10-minute sessions, it still counts for you.
What else is moderate? You can count badminton, golf (if you walk),
or
horseshoes, but not playing cards or video games. Count vacuuming but
not washing dishes. Mowing your lawn with a power mower is moderate
exercise, a push mower is vigorous, and a mower you ride on is light
exercise. You can ride your bike to the store, play Ping-Pong, go
square dancing, or do some serious yard cleanup, and it adds up to
30 minutes before you know it. If you're still not to 30 minutes, go
for that walk. Other activities where you're putting forth an amount
of effort similar to the moderate exercises are also moderate.
Learn
to
listen to your body. The idea is to move to an active lifestyle:
don't
ride in a car when you can walk, don't take the elevator when you can
climb the stairs, don't fax something you can hand deliver, and don't
use automated or electronic devices just because they exist.
Exercise lite is a baseline program. The most dramatic health
benefits
come when you go from doing nothing to this kind of moderate exercise
and enhanced general activity level. Note that although you may feel
tired at the end of a day of shopping, cooking, and chasing after your
kids, this does not constitute an adequate "workout." More is better,
and you may decide to do even more exercise when you see how much
better
you feel after a few weeks of "exercise lite."
This program requires no special equipment, no assembly, and no
investment, except for a bit of time. If you're not an active person
yet, start today.
HEALTHandFITNESS.com 
