Studies have suggested that walking at brisk pace for three or four hours a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by 65 percent.

Simply adding movement into your daily routine can increase your fitness level. For instance, if you park your car in the last row of the parking lot and walk briskly five minutes each way between your office and your car, walk up and down the stairs at your office during your ten minute coffee break, and walk the dog for ten minutes when get home, you have wittingly or unwittingly racked up about 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Water, a major component of blood plasma, creates a transportation mechanism in the body and controls the distribution of solutes within and outside the cells. Up to two quarts of water per hour can be lost through perspiration during work outs. About one quarter per day is lost through the urine. Work up to drinking at least two liters of water a day. At first you may find this hard, but your body will start to crave the water. Drinking water will help you feel refreshed, help relieve headaches, and curb your appetite. So drink plenty of water for a better health.

Although muscle stimulation occurs in the gym lifting weights, muscle growth occurs afterward during rest. Without adequate rest and sleep, muscles don’t have an opportunity to recover and build. About eight hours of sleep a night is desirable for a bodybuilder to be refreshed, although this varies from person to person. Additionally, many athletes find a daytime nap further increase their body’s ability to build muscle.

Another obvious advantage of getting sufficient rest is that you are more energized and can train harder, which in turn improves the result of your work outs. A sleep- deprived person on the other hand, is worn out even before stepping into the gym. Such a person can even get himself injured because of the lack of mental focus.

Eat 5-6 small meals a day, every three hours. When we eat often, our metabolism speeds up, and we burn more calories at rest. We also think better, have less stress, and have more energy. Since our body can utilize only so many calories at one time, eating more often and in smaller portions is the only way to have better health. Besides, eat until you are no longer hungry, not until you are full. There will always be another meal. Keep busy in between meals and find other ways besides food to spend your time.