Move More Every Day!

• Get moving! Research shows that just two 5-minute walks each day will get you started in the right direction if you have not been active in a while.
• Decide on a personal fitness goal and write it down. Start at 10 minutes each day, and progress to 30-45 minutes each day. 
• Choose an activity that fits into your lifestyle. That way, you’re more likely to stick to it. IF you are a person that believes you should only run when being chased – then I would not recommend a running program for you!
• Plan for inefficiency so you can fit more activity into your day. Take your clean laundry upstairs in several batches instead of one. Making one trip for each person’s room will get your heart pumping.
• Wear a reliable pedometer for one week to establish a baseline value for the number of steps you take daily. Then try to add about 250 steps each day. Remember, each step counts toward your goal.
• Use simple checkpoints to measure your success. For example, ask yourself how much less time it took you today than last week to swim a lap or walk around the block.
• Find a friend who can be an accountability partner to join you in your activity and keep you going when you’re tempted to skip a session. People who exercise with a friend or partner are 50% more likely to still be exercising a year from now.
• Add variety to your fitness plan to help yourself stay motivated and make your activity program more fun.
• Set aside a 30-minute block of time each day that you can devote to your activity plan without being interrupted. Make physical fitness a priority in your life.
• People who exercise first thing in the morning are 50% more likely to be doing it 5 years from now!
• Monitor your progress and reassess every six weeks.  Be sure to change up your routine.  Your body adapts to the changes so it is important to change it up to keep making progress.

Reference:  American Heart Association No-Fad Diet: A Personal Plan for Healthy Weight Loss, Copyright © 2005 by the American Heart Association.