Many of us would like to partake in regular exercise, but we find that our busy schedules can keep us from making this a realization. The new year is a great time to revisit our exercise goals and take a step in the direction of health. Ideally we should all log at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, but to make exercise sustainable in your life, start small and work up to this. Begin with smaller goals such as 15 minutes 2 days a week for 2 weeks, then increase the days and minutes as you find ways to fit exercise into your life.

Some benefits of regular exercise:

• Exercise improves your mood: physical activity causes chemical changes in your brain, which can make you feel happier, more relaxed and decrease depression.
• Exercise improves your energy: even though it takes energy to exercise, the body works more efficiently when it gets regular exercise, allowing you to have more energy through out the day.
• Exercise increases your immune system: regular exercise can help reduce your chances of getting colds, flus, and other viruses.
• Exercise prevents chronic disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers can be decreased or avoided by regular exercise.
• Exercise improves your sleep: with physical exertion, you can fall asleep faster and sleep deeper, which gives you more energy through out the day.
• Exercise gets you in shape: burn calories to feel and look great, while getting stronger and fit.
• Exercise keeps you young: increased circulation improves the delivery of nutrients to cells and the removal of toxins. It also helps increase the natural production of collagen, plumping the skin and fighting age lines.

Exercise plans should be personalized to meet the individual goals of the person, and should take into consideration any current or previous injuries, weaknesses and illnesses.

Below are some ideas on ways to increase exercise into your everyday life:

• Wear a pedometer: track your steps and record the number. A reasonable goal to work up to is 10,000 steps a day. Try to increase the number of steps by 500 each week until you reach your goal.
• Yoga: join a class or practice on your own
• Stretching in the morning and evening
• Walk with a dog, with a friend, to the store, to window shop, to social events
• Jogging or running
• Wii Fit: you will be amazed at how sore you can get from a video game
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park further away from your destination to get a walk in
• Sit ups, push ups, wall sits, squats and lunges at home
• Weight lifting: at a gym or at home
• Play with children and/or pets
• Hiking
• Ride a bike, and consider bike commuting on safe roads
• Swimming: a great work out that is gentle on joints
• Dancing: take a class, dance on your own or with friends
• Water aerobics: great exercise that is easy on joints
• Outdoor activities such as cross country or downhill skiing, snowshoeing, etc
• Exercise while watching a movie or TV

Make an appointment for specific recommendations on reaching your health goals for 2010.