Quick, Get Moving

Of course we all know that too much sitting, or inactivity, isn't good. But who knew it was this bad?

A new study, which appeared in the January 18 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that people who spent at least four hours per day watching TV, playing video games, or using a computer for fun were more than twice as likely as those who kept their recreational "screen time" under two hours to experience a heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular problem.

Now here is the scary part -- couch potatoes were also about 50% more likely to die of any cause during the four-year study.

This was reported in an article on health.com that goes into more detail.

So here are exercise ideas you can get started on immediately.

1) Walk your dog. (If you don't have one borrow a neighbor's dog.)
I walk my 3-year-old lab 30 minutes at 6 AM and 45 minutes after dinner. It doesn't seem like exercise but believe me it is. And you can also use this time to focus on the outdoors or just appreciate all of the good things in your life. (You can always walk by yourself or with your iPod.)

2) At lunchtime, walk for 30 min. For those of us lucky enough to work in a city it's easier to find interesting places to walk. If you are in the suburb and near a mall, just walk around there. And I bet there is someone at work who would go with you. That makes it more enjoyable and less like exercise.

3) Yoga, Tai-Chi
Both of these are less strenuous forms of exercise, especially if you are exercising after work. And you don't even have to find a class as there are many good DVDs out there. Peace of mind is the beneficial side effect of this form of exercise.