"Exercise" You'll Hardly Notice

Working little bits of activity into your day -- scrubbing the tub, walking to a coworker's cubicle instead of calling, opting for the stairs over the escalator -- is just as important for staying healthy as doing formal exercise. But how much of it you do may depend on your mind, not your muscles.

A positive attitude about activity translates into automatically doing more mini workouts every day, new research says. Turns out that people who think exercise is a good thing tend to do more nonexercise activity, like parking farther from the supermarket entrance. And it can add up to an impressive extra calorie burn.

If your view of physical activity ranges from "take it or leave it" to "no way," researchers are looking for ways to help you instinctively move more. But don't wait for the results. There's just too much evidence that this unsung form of activity can help you control your weight and lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease, osteoporosis, and decreased sexual pleasure, not to mention disability.

So nudge yourself a little. Walk around while you talk on the phone. Put a stationary bike in front of the TV -- both of us YOU Docs have. Sit on an exercise ball when you're answering e-mail. Tap your toes while you're standing in line. Make extra trips around the house when you're putting away laundry or groceries. Keep it all fun by strapping on a pedometer and challenging yourself to build up to 10,000 steps per day from a combination of regular and "accidental" walks. Here's how to turn more of your chores and daily tasks into extra exercise. Here's how to turn more of your chores and daily tasks into extra exercise.