• Reduce the risk of premature heath, particularly from cardiovascular disease.
• Reduce the risk of developing diabetes & colon cancer.
• Reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure or reduce already elevated blood pressure.
• Promote psychological well-being & reduce depression & anxiety.
• Control weigh.
• Build & maintain healthy muscles, bones & joints.
• Improve the strength of older adults & their ability to move without falling.

Excess weight is closely associated with the risk of numerous health problems including diabetes, cardiovascular disease & joint problems.

Managing your weight involves not only your diet, but also how much & how intensely you exercise. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle your body is less efficient & when you do perform occasional exercise, your body burns easily accessible carbohydrates rather than stored fat. However, the more regularly you exercise over time – for instance, as you work up to a 20-30 minutes period on most days & stick with this for 6 months – the more your body will start to shift in favor of burning fat over carbohydrates. Essentially, your body adapts to regular exercise and becomes more efficient.

If weight loss isn’t an issue for you, there are still health benefits associated with the 1/2 hr of activity on most or all days of the week. Do something you enjoy that involved moving the large muscles in your hips and legs. And if you can’t sustain a moderate activity level for 30 minuets straight, break down your activity into 10- or 15- min chunks of time. For instance, try taking a brisk 10 min walk in the morning and doing the same in the afternoon and the evening (total of 30 minutes of activity) – but avoid moderate or higher-intensity exercise for at least an hour after a substantial meal.

However, if you goal is to lose weight, try gradually increasing the amount of time you exercise or are physically active. Doing so increases the potential for fat loss.

If weight loss is your goal but you’ve been inactive, don’t expect to do an hour a day of moderate activity right away. Gradually build up your activity level over weeks and months with the goal of reaching 30 minutes/day – that 1/2 hrs nets you important health benefits.

For the weight loss aspect, gradually add time. You may want to vary your activities and break them into 15 to 20 minutes periods throughout the day that eventually add up to 60 minutes per day.

- By Thomas Stacy