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22 May 2007 12:35 PM

Low Physical Activity Can Help You Improve Fitness for Postmenopausal Women

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

We're always talking about the need for regular exercise (advice that suggests a regular exercise program of cardio 5 to 6 days a week along with strength training for three to four days a week), but a new study has found that even low amounts of physical activity can do you a world of good. The study focused on the fitness levels of sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women.

The study found that women (postmenopausal, overweight, sedentary or all of the above) reap definite benefits from just 72 minutes of exercise per week. 72 minutes per week means you just need to exercise about 10 minutes per day and you'll reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and more.

Everyone Can Do 10 Minutes

I know I've said that 20 minutes a day can change your life and I still agree with that. I like riding my bike every day and with this being the last week of school, we're enjoying riding to and from school and that's more than 20 minutes a day.

10 minutes a day is something everyone can do. The National Institute for Health recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of increased physical activity, but this study suggests that for overweight, sedentary women that if they just increase physical activity by 10 minutes per day, they can improve their overall health and fitness.

Significant Improvement

Maybe you can only do 10 minutes a day right now and that shouldn't discourage you. 10 minutes a day 7 days a week is an hour a week, 4 hours per month and 48 hours per year. But if you can stick to 10 minutes a day within a few weeks, you will likely be up to 15 minutes a day and then 20 and eventually, you'll make it to 30 minutes a day.

Too often, we get caught up on the idea that if we can't do it all right at once, then why should we bother doing it? If you save a quarter per day, you'll have a $1.75 by the weekend and if you save a dollar per day, that 7 dollars by the end of the week.

Start small and build, spend just 10 minutes a day and you will be the one who reaps the health benefits overall. Can you spare 10 minutes a day?

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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