With all the talk about obesity and couch potatoes, I was glad to learn that more than 60 percent of adults in the U.S. engage in some type of regular physical activity to lower their risk of chronic diseases and improve their health. If you're part of the remaining 40 percent, you probably know that exercising more is the right thing to do. The next step is managing to schedule it into your busy day.
Experts suggest that you aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderately intense activity on most days of the week. Remember, there are 1440 minutes in the day. How hard can it be to devote just 2 percent of them (that's 30 minutes) to exercise?
If you're finding it hard to schedule exercise into your day, consider keeping an exercise diary. Exercise diaries are gaining popularity with people who want to lose weight or who simply want to improve their daily activity. Just like food diaries, exercise diaries can help prod you to meet a goal you've set for yourself. What can an exercise diary do for you?
- It's a permanent reminder of what you did today that increased your activity level.
- It will help you detect any patterns related to skipped exercise sessions, moods, sleep, stress, and schedule changes.
- It tracks your long-term accomplishments, such as increasing stamina or exercise efficiency.
- It's a planning tool for your exercise over the next week or month.
There are several electronic diaries available on the Internet. One I like is a free tool from the American Heart Association called Just Move. You can use it to plan your activities, log the type and amount of exercise you're doing, and measure progress toward your goal. The Web site also provides some resources, questions, and answers about the importance of physical fitness.
