Exercise Tips

Whether you're watching TV at home, working in your office, or on vacation, it's easy to fit short bouts of exercise into your day. Even if you're starved for time, these tips can help you get the essential physical activity you need to help improve your cholesterol..

At Home
At the Office
At Play
At Home
* Work in the garden or if you don't have a garden volunteer to help someone else. Using a riding mower doesn't count! Rake leaves, prune, dig and pick up trash.
* Go out for a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both! Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes.
* Walk or bike to the corner store instead of driving.
* When walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk. Choose a hilly route.
* Instead of asking someone to bring you a drink, get up off the couch and get it yourself.
* Stand up while talking on the telephone.
* Walk the dog instead of letting it out the door.
* Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra distance. Wear your walking shoes and sneak in an extra lap or two around the mall.
* Stretch to reach items in high places and squat or bend to look at items at floor level.
* Keep exercise equipment repaired and use it!
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At the Office
* Brainstorm project ideas with a co-worker while taking a walk.
* Stand while talking on the telephone.
* Walk down the hall to speak with someone rather than using the telephone.
* Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off a few floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way.
* Walk while waiting for the plane at the airport.
* Stay at hotels with fitness centers or swimming pools and use them while on business trips.
* Take along a jump rope in your suitcase when you travel. Jump and do calisthenics in your hotel room.
* Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra distance. Wear your walking shoes and sneak in an extra lap or two around the mall.
* Participate in or start a recreation league at your company.
* Form a sports team to raise money for charity events.
* Join a fitness center or Y near your job. Work out before or after work to avoid rush-hour traffic, or drop by for a noon workout.
* Schedule exercise time on your business calendar and treat it as any other important appointment.
* Get off the bus a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way to work or home.
* Walk around your building for a break during the work day or during lunch.
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At Play
* Plan family outings and vacations that include physical activity (hiking, backpacking, swimming, etc.)
* See the sights in new cities by walking, jogging or bicycling.
* Make a date with a friend to enjoy your favorite physical activities. Do them regularly.
* Play your favorite music while exercising, something that motivates you. Choose music with different rhythms to help you increase or decrease your pace.
* Join a recreational club that emphasizes physical activity.
* At the beach, sit and watch the waves instead of lying flat. Better yet, get up and walk, run or fly a kite.
* When golfing, walk instead of using a cart.
* Play singles tennis or racquetball instead of doubles.
* At a picnic, join in on badminton instead of croquet.
* At the lake, rent a rowboat instead of a canoe.
* Join a health club or a local recreation center and stick to regular visits. If you have a friend to go with, you'll be motivated to move more!
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Menu Planning & Recipes

The first step in creating a low-calorie, healthful diet is good planning. Including choices from each food group will help provide balance and variety as you craft your meal plans. Planning a week’s worth of menus at a time gives you both flexibility and control.
Use these delicious and healthful recipes and planning tools to help customize your own menu plans.

Recipes
Shopping List
Sample Menu Plan: 1,200 calories
Sample Menu Plan: 2,000 calories
Menu Planner
Recommended Daily Servings

Target Heart Rate

Many experts recommend that you use your heart rate to determine whether you are exercising at an appropriate level. To check whether you’re exercising within your target heart rate zone, take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side, for 10 seconds. Use the tips of your first two fingers (not your thumb) to press lightly over the blood vessels on your wrist. Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 for the number of beats per minute (bpm). This number should be within your target heart rate zone. If it’s too high, you’re straining, and you should slow down. If it’s too low and the intensity feels “light” or “moderate/brisk” (a rating of 3 or 4 on the Perceived Exertion Scale), push yourself to exercise a little harder. (See the Activity Diary Page for more information on this scale.)

Age Average Maximum Heart Rate* Target Zone:60% to 85% of Maximum*

60 160 96 to 136
65 155 93 to 132
70 150 90 to 128

Tips

* Set a personal weight-loss goal and write it down. Start with a goal of losing about 10 percent of your current body weight.

* Keep a food diary for one week. Write down everything you eat and drink.

* Pay attention to what you are eating now and why. Identify the sources of your personal “hidden” calories, such as eating your child’s leftovers.

* Substitute fat-free or low-fat milk for whole milk, and save about 65 calories for each 8-ounce serving. * Watch nutrition labels: Products labeled “low-fat” can be high in calories. For example, low-fat yogurt can be high in calories. Enjoy fat-free, no-sugar-added yogurt instead for a fraction of the calories.

* Include high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, in your diet. They take longer to digest, so they make you feel full longer. In addition, many fruits and vegetables contain water, which provides volume but not calories.

* Cut your favorite candy bar into bite-size pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and store the pieces in the freezer. When a sugar craving hits, unwrap and eat one piece. By the time the candy thaws in your mouth, your craving may be satisfied.

* Identify the nonessential, high-calorie foods you buy out of habit. Stop buying them! If they’re not in your pantry, you won’t eat them.

* Make extra amounts of your favorite low-calorie foods and freeze individual portions. It’s an easy way to control portion size and have handy options available for last-minute meals and snacks.

* When eating out, consider having two low-calorie appetizers instead of an entrée. It will help you feel satisfied and full without splurging on calories.