A LITTLE EFFORT GOES A LONG WAY
Dateline: 03/16/98
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A Little Effort Goes A Long Way
Many people believe that they have to have a gym membership, fancy exercise equipment at home, and lots of time to exercise and stay healthy. I will be discussing how simple chores and moderate activity can help you immensely with your health and weight.
Walking your dog or your child can burn quite a few calories. How fast and/or how long you walk determines how many calories you will burn. Doing household chores like vacuuming, scrubbing floors, sweeping, etc. can also burn quite a few calories. Doing yard work is also great for working up a sweat and shedding unwanted pounds. Combining some of these activities throughout the day burns even more calories. Cheap, inexpensive equipment that you can use at home are a jump rope and resistance bands. To find out about other methods and equipment to use at home, read this feature. If you don't do normal exercise at all, you can receive health benefits by walking or any of these activities for only five to ten minutes depending on your fitness level. It was once thought that you had to exercise for twenty to thirty consecutive minutes to receive any benefit, but studies have shown that smaller sessions combined throughout the day are effective as well. You could walk fifteen minutes in the morning, ten minutes on your break at work, etc.
Try and do some type of activity three to five times a day or enough to equal thirty minutes. All the activities I have mentioned are great for burning calories to lose weight. You should watch what you eat to see the most results. To see the most benefit to your heart health, you should walk with your dog, walk with your child, use a jump rope, or just walk by yourself. You should consult your doctor before beginning any type of activity like this. If you are a more advanced exerciser, you would need to do these activities for a longer of period of time to receive the most benefit. Try twenty to thirty minutes at first and gradually increase your time and/or intensity.
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