A Dietitian's View

The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that all of these effects are true.

Where do you get it? It is right at the end of your feet. The "Magic Pill" is a "dose" of thirty minutes of moderate physical activity-- all at once or broken up over the course of the day. Just take a walk!

Walking the dog, taking the stairs, biking, hiking, parking farther away from your destination and walking more, working out, gardening, vacuuming, swimming-- whatever appeals to you is the place to start.

It continues to amaze me how infomercials and glossy ads will convince folks to buy pricey but unproven supplements or exotic foods, but the well-proven ways to better health-whole simple foods and exercise- are brushed aside.

Research proves that exercise has a role in the treatment and prevention of more than forty chronic diseases. If you are not exercising almost every day, you are not helping yourself to the one of the best ways to prevent or manage diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure.

Daily exercise is a powerful 'medicine', as important as the foods you eat. And walking is one of the best exercises you can do to maintain good health and prevent disease.

The Exercise is Medicine website can help you to get started. The "My Exercise Plan" section has tools that will get you going safely.

It includes a Pre-Exercise Health Assessment to give you an idea of whether you should talk to your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program. The "Barriers to Exercise" section assesses seven different areas of potential barriers and provides you with solutions to overcoming your specific challenges. There is also an "Exercise Time Finder" to help you figure out where to fit in your daily activity. A Self-Assessment tool helps you to map out your goals, make a plan, and sign an agreement with yourself to begin or continue exercising.

There are tips for "Keeping it Simple"- such as picking the exercises are that are easiest and the most enjoyable for you. It also includes a Basic Bodyweight Strength Program and a Basic Stretching Program as well as online videos to try. It is a one-stop shop to help you to move towards better health.

If you are a dog owner, you already have one of your best exercise partners. Taking your dog for a walk is great for both of you. Humane groups recommend at least one, half-hour walk a day for dogs. The latest physical activity advice for humans recommends that adults accumulate 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking. Taking your pet for a 30 minute walk every day, or for two 15-minute walks, will move both of you towards greater fitness. Remember to start slowly. Make it pleasurable, not painful. Don't have a dog? Borrow a neighbor's pet, walk with a friend, or just view your fitness walk as "me" time for quiet thinking and relaxing.

The health benefits of exercise prove that our bodies are made for walking, hiking, biking, dancing, and moving, so start enjoying the benefits that regular activity brings- one walk at a time.