Most of us want to get active but this task is often considered daunting. The advantages of getting active are plenty and we should make an effort to benefit from it. The American College of Endocrinology (ACE), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) are just a few organizations that recognize that getting active can help ward off obesity, diabetes and heart disease. They recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Moderate physical activity is defined as activity that gets you working at 50-70% of you maximum heart rate. To figure out your maximum heart rate, just subtract your age in years from 220. For example, a 50 year old person would have a maximum heart rate of 170 beats per minute (or 220 minus 50). A goal of 50% of maximum for this person would be equal to 85 beats per minute.

This is all well and good but if you’re like most people, it is difficult to find time to incorporate this much activity into your daily life. Keep in mind that getting active doesn’t have to mean becoming a gym rat. There are little things you can do every day to get more active. As long as you get your heart pumping, the possibilities are endless.

One way is to take advantage of perhaps one of the oldest forms of exercise: walking.  A 140 pound woman can burn around 800 extra calories in one week by walking just 2 miles a day. Try bidding goodbye to your car for traveling small distances. When possible, try walking to the grocery store or to the post office. You can even make it a point to take daily morning walks and burn those extra calories. Depending on your pace, it only takes around 20 minutes to walk a mile. So the old excuse of ‘not having time’ doesn’t really hold water here. 

Another way to save money and get active simultaneously is through cycling. Curb gasoline costs and burn calories by utilizing the benefits of cycling. No special preparation is required for cycling; just wear a helmet and something comfortable and voila! Here is an effective way to get active. Cycling at only 12 miles per hour will burn about 500 calories in only one hour.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of housework. That’s right, housework! Try turning up the tunes while doing those mundane household chores and watch the calories melt away. It has been estimated that one can burn over 50,000 calories a year doing housework! Believe it or not, some researchers calculate that the average person walks over 22 miles per year just doing household chores.

For those who are a little more adventurous, there are countless other ways to stay active. For example, if you enjoy the water, swimming might just do the trick. Hiking is also a good option for people who are adventurous and want to get active. Jogging, kayaking, rowing and mountain climbing are all ways to get active and have fun.

Many of us try to make getting active more difficult than it really is. With just a little effort, it’s easy to incorporate activity into your daily life without sacrificing a large amount of time.

Author: Christi Larson, Pharm. D.

Dr. Larson is a Clinical Infusion Pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of www.empoweredmedicine.com. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab.  EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information.