Any movement requires energy. About 30% of the calories we eat provide energy for physical activity. Very active people may require 40% of their calories for movement. Weight-bearing exercise – walking or running, or lifting any kind of weights (doing a push-up or even lifting soup cans) – strengthens our muscles and bones. The American Heart Association, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other authorities urge us to choose activities we like and enjoy them at least five times a week for 30 minutes.Health tip: Build in extra steps each day by:
• Taking the stairs
• Using the restroom on another floor
• Parking on the other side of the parking lot
• Planting a garden and tending it yourself. Enjoy the produce to insure 5-a-day fruits and vegetables
• Walking your dog (or the neighbor’s.)
