The July/August issue of Men’s Health is out and its Least Active City list is making headlines, as it should, since it indicates areas in the United States where people are not getting enough exercise and, if not experiencing it already, are at an increased risk for obesity and chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. To keep you off the couch, whether you live in a sedentary city or one of the most active, here are four easy ways to exercise every day.
The July/August issue of Men’s Health is out and its Least Active City list is making headlines, as it should, since it indicates areas in the United States where people are not getting enough exercise and, if not experiencing it already, are at an increased risk for obesity and chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. To keep you off the couch, whether you live in a sedentary city or one of the most active, here are four easy ways to exercise every day.
Do you live in America’s most sedenary cities?
Men’s Health ranked the following cities as being the least active:
100. Lexington, Kentucky
99. Indianapolice, Indiana
98. Jackson, Mississippi
97. Charleston, West Virginia
96. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
95. Tulsa, Oklahoma
94. Little Rock, Arkansas
93. Nashville, Tennessee
92. Laredo, Texas
91. Birmington, Alabama
To see if your city ranks in the most sedentary or most active lists, visit MensHealth.com.
4 Easy ways to exercise every day
1. Walk your dog
Your dog needs exercise for her health as much as you do. Leash her up and go for a 10 to 20 minute walk every day. If you don’t have a pawed pal, take your kids to the park and walk around the park trails or get together with a coworker, friend, or neighbor to take a stroll.
2. Commit to quit
One of the criteria Men’s Health used to rank cities sedentary or active was the percentage of households that watch more than 15 hours of cable a week and buy more than 11 video games a year. Save your money and your health by committing to quit sitting on the couch staring at the screen. Instead, spend these hours doing activities with your family or friends — from playing catch with your kids and hiking nearby trails to yard work and to-dos around the house, you can put your “down time” to better use.
3. Drive less and move more
Technology is a wonderful thing, but it has made Americans lazy. Walk or bike to work or to do your errands, take the stairs instead of the elevator, carry your groceries instead of carting them in the basket, get out of your chair when you’re talking on the phone, and find other ways to use your own muscle rather than rely on modern technology. It may not seem like much, but your activity will add up.
4. Exercise smarter
If an hour walk on the treadmill is your view of working out, no wonder you loathe it. How about doing a 20-minute circuit workout instead? Not only will you burn more calories and be more motivated to exercise, you’ll also see better results — faster! If you need help with putting a workout together, simply tune in to ExerciseTV.tv or WomensHealthMag.com for workouts you can do at home, or take a class at your local gym.
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