Most people admit that they could increase their level of physically activity to improve their life style. Usually as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day five times a week will help you have a healthier heart, tone up sagging muscles, and promote restful sleep. 

Moderate exercise includes brisk walking, ballroom or line dancing, bicycling on level ground, or water aerobics. Think about how these changes can improve the way you feel. Check out our How Active Am I? Activity Scan to help you determine your current level of physical activity and serve as a reminder of what to do next.

Physical activity guidelines are available at http://www.health.gov. 

Also, if you’re interested in losing weight, remember that keeping a food diary and graphing your weight loss are two effective techniques that could help.

Download our food diary and weight graph to get yourself started.

“Researchers have studied the use of food diaries and their role in weight loss. In a study reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers noted that overweight people who kept food diaries lost twice as much weight compared with those who did not keep food diaries,” a recent North Dakota Cooperative Extension article says.

Graphing your weight loss is also an effective tool.

“You can't drive a car if you can't see where you're going.  You can't control your weight if you can't see where it's going! An important weight control technique is to keep a visual record of your weight,” the Medical University of South Carolina’s website says.