Be good to yourself!

Eating healthy foods and regular physical activity are keys to good health at any age. These two simple habits may lower your risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases. They may even help ward off depression and keep your mind sharp as you age.

To get started, pick any activity or sport you enjoy. Begin with small, specific goals, such as “I will take a 10-minute walk three times this week.” Slowly increase the length of time and the number of days you are active.

You may benefit most from a combination of aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility activities. Build up to 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity cardiovascular or aerobic activity on most ( preferably all 7 ) days of the week.

To keep your muscles healthy and flexible try to include balance and flexibility exercises into your daily workout as well. Millions of healthy folks all over the world have discovered the benefits of yoga and pilates.

Many activities give you more than just one benefit. For example, doing aqua aerobics using water weights gives you aerobic and strengthening benefits. Yoga combines balance, flexibility, and strengthening benefits.

For the best results - Work toward doing strength exercises 2 or 3 days a week.

Exercise is probably the single most effective habit you can use to enjoy life more and reduce your stress.

The benefits are clear:

1. Lose (or maintain your) weight by burning calories.

2. Lower your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart and lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol.

3. Keep your joints moving and reduce your arthritis pain.

4. Lower your stress level and boost your mood

If losing weight is one of your goals this year - Start Today! Health experts agree - the quickest way to lose weight and keep it off is exercise and healthy eating.

And lastly from the famous Christian writer - D.L. Moody:

"If we are children of God we ought not to have a lazy drop of blood in our veins. If a man tells me that he has been saved, and does not desire to work for the honor of God, I doubt his salvation. Laziness belongs to the old creation, not to the new. In all my experience I never knew a lazy man to be converted never. I have more hope of the salvation of drunkards, and thieves, and harlots, than of a lazy man."