We have known for millennia that exercise is beneficial. The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine report that people who exercise regularly are less likely to experience:

· Heart attacks
· Strokes
· Cancer (especially colon and breast cancer)
· High blood pressure
· Type 2 diabetes
· Osteoporosis
· Obesity
· Anxiety
· Depression
· Early death
· Early decline of cognitive function

With all of these benefits everyone should be more active. But just how much activity do you need? My answer is simple; any is better than none!

But “to promote and maintain health, all healthy adults aged 18-65 years need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days each week or vigorous-intensity activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days each week. The new recommendations also point out the benefits of doing greater amounts of activity above the “minimum recommended amounts.” Their recommendation states: Many adults, including those who wish to improve their personal fitness or further reduce their risk for premature chronic health conditions and mortality related to physical inactivity, should exceed the recommended minimum amount of physical activity.

“Aiming for 45-60 minutes of activity daily has additional health benefits including: preventing weight gain, achieving higher fitness levels, improving chances of preventing the chronic health problems listed above, and improving your chances for living a longer life. People who have lost considerable weight and want to maintain their weight loss may need as much as 60-90 minutes of activity daily.” (Making Healthy Choices Newsletter, Issue 42: Story 2, Sept. 25, 2007)

But remember, while all of these recommendations are important, any amount is better than none!