Hectic Lifestyle Stopping You?

Next time you think you're too busy to exercise, think again:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Your legs will thank you!
• Get off the bus 5 stops before your own.
• Next time you have a "girls night," plan an evening of bowling instead of a sit-down meal.
• When you run out of milk, walk to the store instead of jumping in the car.

Family fun and fitness go hand in hand.

Follow these little tidbits to get the whole family involved:

• Tell the kids to go fly a kite ... and mean it!
• Have a contest. See which child can rake the most leaves in the shortest amount of time.
• If you can spare the time, help coach your child's sport team.
• Go to family swim night at the local pool and splash around.

NO EXCUSES! GET THE FACTS!

Myth:

No pain, no gain.

Fact:

This old expression just doesn't ring true. For instance, walking is a great form of exercise. You don't even need to sweat a lot to do it.

Myth:

"Skinny" people don't need to exercise.

Fact:

Absolutely false. Exercise is for everybody, plain and simple.

Myth:

You need to spend hours at the gym to get any benefit.

Fact:

Wrong. What you can do is build in activity throughout your day. Try and fit in an hour's worth of activity over a course of a day. When you begin to intensify your activities, then you can cut back to 30 minutes, four times a week.