Just 30 Minutes Every Day - And Your Government Can Help!

Its true! Believe it or not, the government has world class scientists studying fitness and health every day. And they make their research and recommendations available to the public for free, as long as you have a computer. The pure volume of healthy articles on the CDC, NIH, and other federally sponsored institutions almost makes me break out in a sweat.

 

Visit the Centers for Disease Control web page for physical activity recommendations:

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html#Aerobic

 

 

They will tell you how much you need to do, good ideas on how to do it and even video instructions on options for different people. Here's one of my favorite snippets:

 

Aerobic activity – what counts?

 

Aerobic activity or "cardio" gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. From pushing a lawn mower, to taking a dance class, to biking to the store – all types of activities count. As long as you're doing them at a moderate or vigorous intensity for at least 10 minutes at a time.

 

Intensity is how hard your body is working during aerobic activity.

 

How do you know if you're doing light, moderate, or vigorous intensity aerobic activities?

For most people, light daily activities such as shopping, cooking, or doing the laundry doesn't count toward the guidelines. Why? Your body isn't working hard enough to get your heart rate up.

 

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell is that you'll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song. Here are some examples of activities that require moderate effort:

• Walking fast
• Doing water aerobics
• Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
• Playing doubles tennis
• Pushing a lawn mower

There is so much more there for the learning. Exercise is as, if not more, important than proper nutrition and compliance with your physicians' recommendations. Weight loss, improved glucose tolerance, mental well-being and improved physical appearance are just some of the benefits you can achieve with 30 MINUTES EACH DAY. That's it! Just 30.