Incorporating Physical Activity into Your Daily Routine Not as Hard as You Think

You already know that getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each and every day is good for you, but putting that assertion into actual practice is an entirely different matter, right? Contrary to what you might think, making physical activity an everyday habit isn't rocket science. There's no secret code for success waiting to be cracked. In fact, it's something that can be worked into your usual routine with minimal, sometimes no, interruption or adjustment.

The U.S. Surgeon General, the American Heart Association and many other reputable health organizations all agree that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity workout is optimal on most, if not all, days of the week. The good news is that they also all concur that this recommended prescription doesn't have to be taken all in one large dose. While the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) once called for continuous exercise of 20 minutes' duration or longer, new guidelines allow for bouts of physical activity (as few as 10 minutes at a time) intermittently spread throughout the day.

When viewed in this manner, 10 minutes of exercise three times a day becomes a much more manageable goal than 30 uninterrupted minutes. Even the busiest executive and the most stressed-out mom can carve out 360 seconds for the sake of improving his or her physical, mental and emotional well-being. In fact, regular physical activity can even be considered a lifesaving practice. That's because it's been proven to extend life by warding off many chronic and deadly conditions like heart attacks, diabetes and strokes.

Now that the logistics are out of the way, the question becomes: What constitutes "moderate-intensity" activity? In concrete terms, the 30-minute recommendation breaks down to two to three miles of walking a day at a rate of 3-4 miles per hour, or to burning 200 calories per day. This aim coincides with the popular 10,000 Steps program, which can easily be reached with the assistance of a RYP Sports pedometer. Simple things like parking your car farther away from your office or taking the stairs instead of the elevator can quickly add up to that target number.

For those who don't enjoy walking or running, there are many other activities that constitute moderate-intensity exertion, many of which are necessary and/or fun tasks that fit right in with your normal routine. Gardening, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, mall strolling and dancing all fill the bill. In fact, 30 minutes spent playing tag with your kids in the yard burns the equivalent amount of calories as yoga, horseback riding and walking at a pace of four miles per hour on a level surface.

So, before you use the excuse that you're too busy to schedule exercise into your daily grind, reconsider. Play Frisbee with the kids, take the dog for a jog around the block, even get some much-needed cleaning done around the house. In no time flat you'll have reached your intended exercise goal, often without even realizing it!

By Matt Ream © 2005 RYP Sports Inc. All rights reserved.

RYP Sports is a leading retailer of heart rate monitors, pedometers, Timex watches and stopwatches. Unbeatable prices on the widest selection health related products, including yoga mats, yoga DVDs, exercise balls, and step counters on the Web. All items in stock for fast shipping at the BEST prices anywhere. Satisfaction guaranteed.

In The News:


Google News
Updated : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:55:22 GMT

Argentine Lower House Passes Grain Export-Tax Plan (Update3) - Bloomberg


Voice of America
Argentine Lower House Passes Grain Export-Tax Plan (Update3)
Bloomberg - 8 hours ago
By Eliana Raszewski July 5 (Bloomberg) -- Argentina's lower house of congress approved the government's plan to increase taxes on exports of grains and oilseeds, risking a resumption of three months of strikes by farmers.
Export Tax That Angers Farmers Advances in Argentina New York Times
Argentina lawmakers approve farm export tax hike guardian.co.uk
RTT News - BBC News - The Associated Press - AFP
all 144 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:41:30 GMT

Ore. man completes flight of fancy _ in lawn chair - The Associated Press


The Associated Press
Ore. man completes flight of fancy _ in lawn chair
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago
CAMBRIDGE, Idaho (AP) - Using his trusty BB gun to help him return to Earth, a 48-year-old gas station owner flew a lawn chair rigged with helium-filled balloons more than 200 miles across the Oregon desert Saturday, landing in a field in Idaho.
Video: Ore. Man Uses Balloons and a Lawn Chair to Fly AssociatedPress
Believe it or not, he's lounging on air The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
CNN International - BBC News - KOHD - San Jose Mercury News
all 1,071 news articles

Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:50:31 GMT

Obama "puzzled" by Iraq comment frenzy - Reuters


Washington Post
Obama "puzzled" by Iraq comment frenzy
Reuters - 1 hour ago
By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Saturday his plan to end the Iraq war was unchanged and he was puzzled by the sharp reaction to his statement this week that he ...
Obama struggles to thread needle on Iraq AFP
Obama Refines the Blame on Iraq Miscue New York Times
International Herald Tribune - Voice of America - Washington Times - New York Daily News
all 1,620 news articles

Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:08:23 GMT

McCain Battles a Nemesis, the Teleprompter - New York Times


New York Times
McCain Battles a Nemesis, the Teleprompter
New York Times - 7 hours ago
Mary Altaffer/AP By MARK LEIBOVICH LAS VEGAS —Senator John McCain was performing relatively smoothly as he unveiled his energy plan.
McCain Campaign, in Relaunch, Seeks Tighter Message Focus Wall Street Journal
McCain Campaign on Obama and Iraq FOXNews
The Associated Press - Washington Post - Los Angeles Times - CNN
all 737 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:31:52 GMT

Hippie Arrests Draw ACLU’s Attention - New York Times


ABC News
Hippie Arrests Draw ACLU’s Attention
New York Times - 6 hours ago
By AP CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union said on Saturday that it would investigate the actions of federal officers who had arrested five members of the Rainbow Family in western Wyoming during the group’s annual gathering.
ACLU plans to investigate Rainbow Family treatment The Associated Press
ACLU to investigate Rainbow Family treatment LocalNews8.com
WKOW-TV.com - Billings Gazette - cbs4denver.com - Austin American-Statesman
all 306 news articles

Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:40:38 GMT

Smallest planet shrinks in size - BBC News


Canada.com
Smallest planet shrinks in size
BBC News - Jul 4, 2008
The smallest planet in the Solar System has become even smaller, studies by the Messenger spacecraft have shown. Data from a flyby of Mercury in January 2008 show the planet has contracted by more than one mile (1.5km) in diameter over its history.
First Results From Messenger's Mercury Flyby Slashdot
Mercury is shrinking, NASA craft finds; a cool clue: 'lobate scarps' Los Angeles Times
eFluxMedia - Baltimore Sun - Examiner.com - ChattahBox
all 155 news articles

Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:45:26 GMT

Analysis: McCain struggles to regain footing - The Associated Press


The Associated Press
Analysis: McCain struggles to regain footing
The Associated Press - 2 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - John McCain calls himself an underdog. That may be an understatement. The GOP presidential candidate trails Democrat Barack Obama in polls, organization and money while trying to succeed a deeply unpopular fellow Republican in a year ...
Rural voters lean to the GOP St. Joseph News-Press
Neither Obama nor McCain meets Energy Party standard The State
New York Times - Online Athens - Washington Post - Newsweek
all 465 news articles

Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:40:55 GMT

RSS to HTML
Increase Search Engine Traffic


PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

STRETCHING; Why Should I?

This short article looks at some of the tips, tricks... Read More

Athletics and Winning

Athletics are pretty cut and dry in one regard; the... Read More

The Amazing Health Benefits of Walking for Exercise

Walking for exercise is a purposeful, brisk walk specifically designed... Read More

Life Walking: Dont Walk Just For Exercise - Change Your Life

"Life walking" is more than walking for exercise and fitness... Read More

Pilates: A Challenging and Motivating Exercise Regimen

Pilates is named after its creator Joseph Pilates. It is... Read More

Exercises You Probably Dont Do But Should!

This is going to be kinda short and sweet. .... Read More

Exercise Program

The exercise program you choose depends entirely on your fitness... Read More

Weight Training: The Real Weight Loss Exercise

So you want to lose weight? Chances are, you'll spend... Read More

Workouts That Travel

A vacation can do wonders for reducing stress levels, but... Read More

Exercise and Diet ? For Your Waistline

Caring for your body is the most important thing you... Read More

Lose Weight - Stay Fit and Stick With It!

Health and nutrition experts continually advise us that the more... Read More

Defeating Back Pain Forever

Back pain, one of the most common physical, and debilitating... Read More

Doing vs. Performing: The Difference Between Exercising and Getting Results

Back when I was young and living on my parents'... Read More

Exercising With Kids -- Tips For Parents

Making exercise a priority is a challenge for everyone. And... Read More

Health Tips For Busy People: Healthy Diet & Exercise In the Office

Many women's lifestyle magazines frustrate us by providing exercise regimens... Read More

Exercise Equals Fun!

Getting America's children to exercise has never been more difficult... Read More

Top 10 Most Outrageous Exercises I?ve Ever Seen

In the course of my experience working and training in... Read More

Interval Training

Are you in an exercise rut? Do you want to... Read More

Physical Activity Versus Exercise: Is there a Difference?

Quite often a client will come into the gym discouraged... Read More

Do You Want To Be A Bodybuilding Champion ? The Power Behind The PEN!

IT ALL STARTED ON A TYPICAL NOVEMBER MORNING back in... Read More

Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Exercising the Abdominals

The abdominal muscles are essential for maintaining good posture and... Read More

Tai Chi, NOT Chai Tea!

Those of you that have either completed a one-on-one program,... Read More

Bodybuilding Training Tips ? To be a Champion!

Twenty two years ago I fell into the world of... Read More

Exercising for life ? The magic is in the synergy!

Synergy: the working together of two or more things, people,... Read More

The Top 10 Reasons Why Your Dog is a Great Workout Partner

1) He or she is never late for a workout... Read More