One Hour a DAY - EVERY DAY

For 7 years, my old bones have gotten used to a daily bout of high-energy activity but the last few weeks were similar to that pre-7-year period - I would be happy if I gardened and got my heart rate up - that's exercise isn't it? Well, no. Not at ALL. I've been reading up on what is the standard on exercise -- what is the minimum amount of activity needed in a day to be healthy. At first I was finding that most literature will tell you 20 minutes of "vigorous" activity (heart rate gets up) 3 times a week, and/or 30 minutes of "moderate" activity 5 times per week. Yeh! My gardening IS beneficial! It turns out that that amount of activity is garbage - don't believe them. These amounts will simply maintain your health where you are at when you start that 20 minute routine. That amount of exericse won't increase or improve anything -- muscle strength, your ability to fight disease, weight loss -- it simply allows you to hold your own so your health doesn't further deteriroate. I've since found out to become more healthy, the standard should be 1 hour a day. Scientists claim if you exercise 1 hour a day on top of everything else you do (using stairs, walking to car, etc) in a day, you can improve your health through a multitude of benefits. To maintain optimal cardiovascular health, a good body weight, and a favorable body composition, we really ought to be exercising at least an hour a day. And they are talking "vigorous" movement, not moderate. Most of you reading this are already doing the good deed of an a hour day and you KNOW the effects -- congrats and keep it up! I used to know it too... I seemed to have forgotten the past month. I AM a slacker these days!

Here's an article on the effects of exericse on muscles and bones as we age. And this article talks about how aging doesn't slow us down, lack of using our muscles and exercise does. My dear old dad is living proof of all of this. His job his entire life has been training, driving, and caring for standardbred race horses. His daily work routine involves being active -- using his muscles. He's now 78, and claims his job kept him healthy all these years. He uses his muscles everyday and he's not slowed up at all yet. He's my inspiration.