Workout Regimens You Can Live With

“Swim, bike, run, rake leaves. Climb monkey bars if you’re a child, do water aerobics if you’re older. Do whatever you like. Just keep moving. That, in essence, is the message of the physical activity guidelines announced this month by the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The basic recommendations — including the core guideline that Americans should get about 150 minutes of moderately intense activity per week — have not really changed from the ones announced in 1996 by the surgeon general’s office. What is different is the emphasis on the variety of activities — including daily chores — that can reap the profound health benefits of exercise. There is no ‘one size fits all.’ Instead, the guidelines are broken into specific recommendations for adults, children, people over 65 and others. And while sustained aerobic activities are the foundation, there are other types of activities — muscle-building and flexibility-enhancing — that are also important. The people who accrue the greatest health benefits from exercise go from doing nothing to doing something.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/health/nutrition/23fitness.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin