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Make exercise a part of your daily life.

Getting regular physical activity during the day is one of the most important things you can do for your health. From helping to manage your weight to reducing anxiety, physical activity has significant benefits.

Women in an exercise class with their babies

Exercise helps you manage your weight.

Burning calories during activity can help you maintain a healthy weight as well as lose excess body weight and keep it off. Here are some tips on how to do both:

  • To maintain your weight, work your way up to 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (e.g., 30 minutes a day, five days a week).
  • To lose weight and keep it off, increase your physical activity and reduce your calorie intake. Check out dietary guidelines for your gender, age, and physical activity level.

Exercise helps to reduce your health risk for:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Some cancers

Getting started

Get started on getting moving:

  • Pick activities you like doing, such as walking, biking, or dancing.
  • Start by doing at least 10 minutes of activity at a time.
  • Build up to 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Research says it doesn’t even have to be all at once to be impactful.
  • Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Take a post-meal walk around the block.
  • Park farther away to get in extra steps.