I am too busy to exercise. Why should I make exercise a priority?

It is difficult for people to find time for exercise. They have good priorities like raising kids, excelling at work or school, and taking care of household chores. But even with just 15 to 30 minutes of exercise a day, risk factors for many diseases are reduced. By making your own health and physical fitness a priority you will be better able to take care of everything else.

I’ve found that most people want to exercise but it is easy to fall out of the habit. If you are too tired after work to exercise, try squeezing in a workout at the beginning of your day. If that doesn’t work for your schedule, try taking a walk during lunch. Remember that anything is better than nothing and you don’t necessarily need to work hard but it is important to try to be consistent. Be realistic with what fits your lifestyle and setting a daily routine is helpful. For example, over the last year several women who work at the Medical Center made a habit of walking on their lunch break. With that one simple change to their daily routines, they all lost weight, some as much as 20 pounds!