1. Choose activities you like. Pick activities you enjoy. A lot of different things count as exercise: dancing, walking, gardening, playing basketball. Choose whatever gets you moving.
2. Try a pedometer. Pedometers are cheap and easy to use. Best of all, they help you keep track of how active you are. Build up to 7,000 steps a day—or more.
3. Piece your workout together. You don't need to get all your exercise at one time. Ten minutes morning, noon, and night can give much of the same benefit as 30 minutes all at once.
4. Exercise with a friend. Finding a workout partner can help keep you on track and motivate you to get out the door.
5. Take lunch on the move. Don't spend your lunch time sitting. Grab a quick meal and hit the gym or go for a walk with coworkers.
Be physically active. Any activity is better than none. And more is usually better.
Exercise is one of those rare things where the hype actually meets reality. Next to not smoking, getting regular physical activity is arguably the best thing you can do for your health. It lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Plus, it helps keep weight in check, helps control stress, and gives a boost to mood.
Best of all? It doesn't take marathon training to see real health gains. A 30-minute brisk walk on five days of the week is all most people need. And getting any amount of exercise is better than none. Or you can do 20 minutes of more vigorous activity—jogging, step aerobics, or singles tennis, for example—three days a week. Or, you can do a combination of both. The more you get, though, the better. But don't feel locked into running or walking. A lot of activities count as exercise: dancing, skating, gardening. Anything that gets you moving, really.
Read the full article on staying active.