Can you find 10 or 15 minutes during the day to move your body?  One person I asked responded:  "It takes me that long to make up an excuse not to exercise!"  Most of us fritter away precious moments checking e-mails, browsing the Internet, chatting on the phone, hanging out at Starbuck's. Think about using those minutes to stay fit instead.

We read a lot about accumulating exercise during the course of the day, but can it really add up to significant health and fitness benefits?  Or have we just diluted exercise guidelines to make them more palatable to a sedentary population?

According to the 2008 Surgeon General Exercise Guidelines, adults gain the most substantial benefits by participating in at least 150 minutes, or 2 hours and 30 minutes, of moderate intensity physical activity each week.  This breaks down to 30 minutes, five days per week. Even short, 10-minute bursts of activity count toward the overall goal of 150 accumulated minutes. Strength building activities like push ups and lifting weights are included as an added benefit for improving health and strengthening muscles.

Mounting research supports the benefits of brief doses of exercise done consistently over time.  Your body reaps numerous benefits just by becoming more active.  Studies show that exercise accumulated in short bouts offers weight loss and aerobic fitness benefits comparable to those achieved in longer sessions. You can reduce high blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, strengthen your muscles and bones, improve your flexibility and posture – all in little mini-workouts throughout the day.

The "all or nothing" mentality of exercise can sabotage your fitness regimen.  In fact, a recent study conducted at Boston Sports Clubs found that those who exercised for 20-30 minutes were more consistent than those who exercised for 45-60 minutes.  Instead of skipping a workout because you don't have the time to do a full routine, develop a mindset that sees the opportunity to move throughout the day.

See where you can find the time to squeeze in a few minutes each day of cardio, strengthening and stretching.  For example, do some stretches and bodyweight exercises when you wake up in the morning.  Accumulate 15 minutes of walking on your way to work or at lunch.  Take a stretch break at your desk during the day – it will refresh your mind as well as your muscles and improve your posture, too.  When you get home, skip the glass of wine and do a 15-minute DVD for strength training – either a full-body workout or one focusing on your core.

Think of your 10 or 15 minutes as "building blocks" of fitness and see how many you can accumulate during the day.  Create a lifestyle of mini-workouts to pump up your heart rate, burn calories and stay strong!

Joan Pagano, former trainer to Jacqueline Kennedy, is a best-selling author, a speaker on health and fitness topics and the owner of Joan Pagano Fitness in New York City.  For more about Joan and her services, please visit www.joanpaganofitness.com

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