Expert Advice

Ask the Trainer

Q. Is it true that being regularly physically active will help you live longer, even if you're overweight? A. We used to think that being inactive, or sedentary, was bad because it led to obesity. Newer research has shown that sedentary living, by itself, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

That means--whether you're overweight or not--if you participate in regular physical activity, you'll be more likely to live longer and live healthier.

To achieve that, it's recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. If you're not getting that much physical activity now, take small steps towards that long-term goal. Small steps are meaningful because gradual change helps shape new behavior and supports success.

You could start with 10 minutes of brisk activity two days a week. When you're comfortable with that, slowly build to having similar short bouts of exercise on more days of the week. After several weeks, gradually add time to each session.

Such regular physical activity will help your blood pressure, heart and overall health. Making small, healthful changes in your eating habits--such as adding an extra piece of fruit each day--is also beneficial.

If your goal is weight loss and maintaining that lower weight, you'll need to do more exercise (60 minutes most days) and make larger adjustments to your diet.

Q. I don't like to sweat. Is it possible for me to get into better shape and stay fit without doing exercises that make me sweaty?

A. Absolutely! You don't have to be soaked in sweat to do enough physical activity to gain health benefits.

Instead of walking for 30 minutes at a time, break your exercising into shorter sessions of 10 or 15 minutes each. You can get your heart rate up, which is what we advise, but still not end up sweaty afterwards.

Working out indoors can help. If you're inside an air-conditioned gym on a treadmill, you'll be drier than if you're outside on a warm day.

Perhaps the most logical choice for you is swimming. There's a wide range of cool, water-based activities that are fun and great exercise, including walking in the pool, aqua aerobics and lap swimming. Exercising in a pool helps people with a variety of health conditions who sometimes can't take the pounding motion of walking on a track or treadmill.

In water aerobics, for example, you keep your feet on the pool floor much of the time. The water provides resistance, which is especially helpful for women as we age. So you get a cardiovascular, strength and conditioning workout all in one--and no sweat!

Water-based physical activity is very comfortable. Indeed, some of the people I talk with who have switched over to it say that, in the beginning, they felt like they were cheating at exercise. It's very different from the sweaty, "no pain, no gain" idea that many of us still have about working out.

If fitting time for exercise into your crammed schedule is also a roadblock for you, use your lunchtime for no-sweat exercise. A 10-minute brisk walk to get a sandwich, with a 10-minute walk back, can help you add physical activity without returning to work wearing damp clothing.

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