The “Harvard Study,” begun 36 years ago, showed that people who become active—that is, who add an activity to their usual daily activities—increase their chances of staying healthy for a lifetime. They are less likely to face illness and become “frail” as they age.

Benefits occur with modest efforts and increase as activity levels increase. Benefits peak when weekly activity reaches an extra 2,000 calories expended in physical activities. That sounds like a lot of calories to expend in physical activities, but not really. It's only about 300 calories per day (or an hour of brisk walking or an hour of yard work a day).

• Decreased body fat
• Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure
• Increased muscle strength and tone
• Increased efficiency of heart
• Helps regulate blood cholesterol
• Improved mental and physical well being
• Relieves tension and helps with relaxation and sleep
• Helps regulate blood sugar levels
• Aids in improving and maintaining flexibility

• 10 calories can be burned per minute of strenuous exercise
• 15 minutes of strenuous exercise will allow you to burn off 150 calories per day
• Over a year - 45,000 calories
• With no change in diet – you’d be 10 pounds lighter OR eat more and MAINTAIN

Fitting Exercise Into Your Daily Life

To help you fit exercise into your daily life it helps to develop an exercise plan.

• List your barriers.
• Evaluate your average day-to-day activity schedule.
  • Need 30-60 minutes (not necessarily consecutive)
  • What time of day will work best for you?
  • What can you eliminate?
  • What can you do while you're doing something else?
• What do you like to do? List your preferences.
  • Home
  • Health club
  • Walking club
• What will you need?
• Use a log
• List goals
• Be safe

• Are they sedentary?
• List recreational activities you can do that will provide a good source of exercise.
  • Biking
  • Skating
  • Swimming
  • Volleyball/Wallyball
  • Skiing
  • Tennis
  • Racquetball
  • Gardening
  • Dancing
  • Sports
• Increase activity
  • Parking at far end of parking lot
  • Walking instead of driving
  • Doing own housework/yardwork
  • Taking stairs
  • Walking the dog

Men 40 and over and women 50 and over should check with their doctor before participating in an exercise program. It is also suggested that individuals of any age at higher risk, having two or more major risk factors and/or symptoms of heart disease, have an exercise test prior to beginning an exercise program. It is also recommended that individuals with known heart disease undergo a thorough medical evaluation before starting an exercise program.

• Choose one activity you will enjoy (ie, brisk walking, bicycling, lap swimming, cross-country skiing, stair climbing, rowing, racquetball, jogging, aerobic dance classes).
• Warm up before you exercise with slow-motion activities or a slow walk.
• Start off slowly by exercising for only 15 to 20 minutes. You can generally add 3-5 minutes to your exercise time per week until you are exercising 30 to 60 minutes.
• Do not overdo it. Exercise within your target heart rate, a level that feels “somewhat hard.”
• Exercise on a regular basis, 3 to 5 days per week.
• If you feel fatigued, short of breath, cannot talk when exercising, or feel pain; slow down. If it continues, STOP!

• Don’t start or stop abruptly - warm up and cool down safely.
• Wait 1 1/2 to 2 hours after eating or drinking an alcoholic beverage.
• If you exercise outdoors, in warm weather, exercise in the earlier AM or evening. In cold weather, exercise in the afternoon.
• Wear comfortable clothing.
• Wear comfortable, supportive, flexible soled shoes.
• When walking, running, or biking uphill slow down.
• Don’t exercise when you aren’t feeling well.

If you are starting a walking program or planning a trip, here are some tips to keep your feet healthy for the road ahead:

• Walk with comfort! Wear breathable athletic shoes with a solid arch support and heel cushioning.
• Use inserted insoles to help protect against shock.
• Walk correctly - keep your head erect and your back straight; allow your arms to swing freely at your side. Your step should start at your heel, move to the outside of your foot, and end with your step rolling off your big toe.
• Walk painlessly - be sure your exercise shoes fit comfortably and properly. Rubbing from shoes that are too big or too small produce corns and calluses.
• Walk smart - examine your feet for blisters after your exercise or after a day of sight seeing.
• You may need to drain blisters that have already formed, being careful not to remove the skin over the blister. To drain, sterilize a needle, clean the skin with alcohol, puncture the blister to drain and cover with a Band-Aid.
• If you need to pad the blister, cut a patch of moleskin. Cut the center a little bigger than the size of the blister, and apply to fit the surrounding area so there is a raised hole over the blister or broken skin.

Traveling wreaks havoc on your normal exercise routine. Sitting for long periods of time stiffens the joints and tightens muscles. So here are some tips for how you can incorporate exercise into your trip:

• If you’re staying in a hotel or motel with a fitness facility, use it.
• Watch and participate with a TV aerobics show.
• Exercise routine in your hotel room.
• Once every hour of your trip, take a 5-minute walking/stretching break.
• Build up to a brisk pace just before you reach your vehicle. Stretch your back, lower back, thighs and calves at the end of the break.
• Fit in ways to increase physical activity such as taking stairs instead of elevators and parking further away from doors.
• Exercise as soon as you wake up. This will get your day off to an energetic start and will improve your mental outlook.
• Change the way you think about exercise. Think of ways to “experience” new things instead of ways to exercise.
• Get involved in the activities of the trip.
• Pick a destination for sightseeing and walking.

How to Get the Benefits of a 2-Mile Run in Your Hotel Room

Cardiovascular

• Jumping jacks - 3 minutes
• Running in place - 3 minutes
• Jumping rope - 3 minutes

Strength-Building

• Arm circles - 30 seconds, rest, 3 more sets of 30 seconds
• Isometric curls - hold 5 seconds, relax 10 seconds, repeat 3-4 times
• Semi sit-ups - 10 front, hold 5 seconds in between, 10 to right, 10 to left

Flexibility

• Jackknife stretches
• Hip & thigh stretches - hold 20 seconds, repeat 5-10 times

Take a 5-minute action break (from your desk) to stimulate your muscles, improve you mental clarity and curtail fatigue.

• Instead of phoning, walk down the hall to ask a coworker a question
• Instead of pouring a cup of coffee, take a brisk walk around your office or down the hall.
• Instead of looking out the window or closing your eyes, stand up and jog in place for 5 minutes.
• Breathe deeply, walk briskly and stretch your arms, shoulders and legs.
• The following are activities to choose from to help you burn more calories:

• A pound of fat contains about 3500 calories.
• To lose one pound of fat, you must burn 3500 calories more than you eat.
• If you burn 500 calories more a day than you eat, you will lose one pound of fat a week.
  • If you normally burn 1700 calories a day you could lose a pound of fat each week if you stick to a total of 1200 calories per day.
  • If you continue to eat the same number of calories (1700 calories) and burn 500 more with increased exercise you could also lose a pound of fat per week.
  • Better yet, you may lose weight by combining exercise with a reduction in caloric intake.
• When you begin a weight-reduction eating plan you may lose weight faster at first due to water loss.

The following list of activities will help you choose exercise to burn more calories.

Activity – Calories per Hour

• Aerobics, low-impact – 350
• Basketball – 560
• Cycling, leisure – 315
• Cycling, vigorous – 700
• Golf, with cart – 245
• Gardening – 350
• Mowing, push mower – 420
• Raking leaves – 280
• Running, 6 mph – 700
• Running, 8 mph – 945
• Softball – 350
• Skiing, cross-country, light Skiing, downhill – 350
• Swimming, general – 420
• Tai Chi – 280
• Tennis – 490
• Walking, slow – 210
• Walking, 4 mph – 315
• Weight training – 420
• Yoga – 280