Family Stroll (photo by Kenn W. Kiser, courtesy of morgueFile.com)

The chilly and shortened days of winter make it easy to put off acting on a New Year’s resolution to get out and about more often for a little physical activity. So, getting an email from the Harvard Medical School that “watching TV, surfing the Internet, or playing computer and video games” were poor substitutes for health-inducing exercise was timely if redundant.

A One Mile Walk Burns 100 Calories

Heady plans for a magnificent new body developed through fiercely determined workouts at a fitness club are fine, but a much more modest regimen can dramatically improve your overall health and have you looking and feeling better. A doctor I admired for his medical knowledge once told me he’d be happy if he could get each of his patients to exercise moderately for 20 minutes a day. A daily stroll would do the nicely, as one mile of walking burns 100 calories.

The Harvard Medical School missive says the minimum threshold for good health is burning at least 700 to 1,000 calories a week through physical pursuits and, “Nearly all of the research regarding the disease-fighting benefits of exercise revolves around cardiovascular activity, which includes walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling.” Thirty minutes of moderate exercise is considered safe for nearly everyone.

Exercise for a Better Sex Life

If you need further incentives to get yourself moving, our friends at HMS offer plenty:

…decades of solid science confirm that exercise improves health and can extend your life. Adding as little as half an hour of moderately intense physical activity to your day can help you avoid a host of serious ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, and several types of cancer, particularly breast and colon cancers. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better, reduce stress, control your weight, brighten your mood, sharpen your mental functioning, and improve your sex life.

For the latest exercise guidelines from the nonprofit American Heart Association, go to: AHA Exercise and Fitness Guidelines

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