No more excuses, no more delays. It's time to start the exercise program you've been promising yourself. The fact is that more than half of American adults get little or no regular physical activity; half of our nations high school students have no regular physical education; automation and machines have made us a very sedentary society. You know exercise is good for you, but do you know why and how much you need?

Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and heart attacks (America's number one killer). Both women and men benefit equally from regular exercise and they can enjoy additional health from exercise, including lowering blood pressure, lowering bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol, lessening the chance of obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis. Regular physical activity has many good psychological effects including stress reduction, as well as enhancement of self confidence and self esteem. Exercise may even help prevent some cancers, including colon cancer.

For better health, your body needs 30-60 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Moderate activities include walking, hiking, stairclimbing, aerobics, jazzercise, biking, walking 18 holes of golf, swimming, rowing, tennis, basketball and jogging. Less vigorous activities such as gardening, yard work, house work and dancing have been shown to be equally beneficial if done daily. Exercise needs to be all year round. Upstate winters provide plenty of opportunities for exercise with cross country and alpine skiing, skating, mall walking and health clubs.

Most people actually do not need a doctor's evaluation before starting an exercise program. You should, however, see your doctor first if you have known heart disease, orthopedic or neurological problems, or if you are a man over 40 or woman over 50 years old with cardiac risk factors (smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or a strong family history of heart disease).

My advice to you:

Start a habit of daily exercise TODAY. See your doctor before starting an exercise program if you have any of the health problem listed above.

Find an exercise (or exercises) that you enjoy, can fit into your daily routine and that you will sustain over the years. Pick a time of the day that works best for you. For most adults walking is an ideal exercise because it is inexpensive and readily available. Find a buddy to walk with you.

Build up to 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity at least 6 days per week.

It's not too early to start. Adolescents and teens should be encouraged to make exercise an essential part of their daily routine for a lifetime.