Move, Move, Move Your Body – You Don’t Have to Be a Gym Rat to Get Fit
Truth: You do not need to be active for long periods to achieve your 150 to 300 minutes of activity each week.
Experts advise doing aerobic activity for periods of 10 minutes or longer at a time but you can spread these sessions out over the week.
Nursing homes and senior retirement centers often offer fitness programs for elderly persons who may not be able to hit the gym hard and dirty. These programs have proven that you can benefit from exercise and stretching even while you are in a chair or on bed rest.
The most important thing to do is simply consider exercise a necessary in your life and you need to find ways to move your body. The second most important thing to do is find something fun! Walking and gardening are great activities and count as moving. You do not have to break your body at the gym in order to make it stronger.
Just get moving! Exercise can help you lose weight, but it also keeps joints, muscles, and connective tissues moving freely and can lift your mood.  Related: Sex as Exercise? Why Not?
Fitness Tips
Don’t just sit there! Americans spend a lot of time sitting in front of computers, desks, hand-held devices, and TVs. Break up your day by moving around more and getting regular aerobic activity that makes you sweat and breathe faster.
- Get 150 to 300 minutes of moderately intense or vigorous physical activity each week. Basketball, brisk walks, hikes, hula hoops, runs, soccer, tennis—choose whatever you enjoy best! Even 10 minutes of activity at a time can add up over the week.
- Strengthen your muscles at least twice a week. Do push-ups or pull-ups, lift weights, do heavy gardening, or work with rubber resistance bands.
Plan to do at least 10 minutes of physical activity three times a day on 5 or more days a week. This will help you meet the 150-minute goal. While at work, take a brief walking break. Use the stairs. Get off the bus one stop early. Go dancing with friends. Whether for a short or long period, bursts of activity may add up to the total amount of physical activity you need each week.
