Issue Date: January 16, 2005
Sneak exercise into your day
Of course vacuuming is exercise!
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I hear it a lot: The biggest obstacle to fitness is sticking with an exercise routine. We're busy and can always push exercise to the bottom of our list. The cost of gym memberships and the intimidation factor of walking into a place packed with "hard bodies" also can keep people from exercising.
The good news? Exercise, even in small amounts from doing everyday activities, can get you on the road to your goal. And it's a lot easier to stick with a fitness program that includes things you have to do anyway.
A study published recently in the journal "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise" showed that brief bouts of exercise throughout the day redistributed body fat and lowered blood pressure.
Here are a few ways you can make everyday activities count as exercise:
Do squats while you're on the phone at work or at home.
Offer to help when boxes need to be moved, and start carrying your groceries to the car. A 150-pound person burns about 50 calories with 10 minutes of lifting and moving.
Don't use the drive-up window for the bank, fast food, coffee or dry cleaners. Park the car and walk to the counter or ATM.
Do some manual labor. Household activities such as shoveling snow (432 calories an hour), raking (288), pushing a manual mower (396) and vacuuming (239) all count as moderate exercise.
Just by taking those activities up a notch, you'll see a difference.
And one more thing: For a week, keep an activity log. Every time you do anything that gets you moving, write down the time you start and stop. Add up the time at the end of the day. If you can get up to 30 minutes daily, you're on your way to getting fit!
Contact Contributing Editor Jorge Cruise, author of the upcoming book "The 3-Hour Diet," at JorgeCruise.com.
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Rustic resorts for cross-country skiing
Do you love winter sports but not the high prices and crowds at most ski resorts? Then escape to a dedicated cross-country resort. These resorts offer rustic lodging, hearty meals, and trails groomed for both classical skiing and rigorous skate-skiing. (Rates below are for two people.)
VERMONT: In the state's Northeast Kingdom, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center has 52 miles of trails over rolling terrain, through high meadows and past picturesque villages. Weekend rates start at $152 a night and include all meals.
MINNESOTA: Gunflint Lodge, next to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, has nearly 60 miles of groomed trails that wind through Minnesota's dense northern forest. Three-night packages that include all meals, ski rentals and ski passes start at $690.
COLORADO: Devil's Thumb Ranch overlooks the Continental Divide and offers nearly 80 miles of groomed trails. Cabin rates from $159 a night include breakfast.
CALIFORNIA: Tucked into woods at 7,000 feet near Lake Tahoe is Sorensen's Resort. You can step out the door of your rustic cabin and ski more than 80 miles of trails in the Hope Valley. Weekend rates starting at $105 a night include breakfast.
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Make your own super peanut butter
You don't need to wonder what's in the peanut butter when you make your own. This recipe, sent to me by a pair of
USA WEEKEND readers, is great-tasting and health-promoting. Soybeans and peanuts help control blood sugar and contain antioxidants, as do olive oil and honey.
Soy-Peanut Butter
2 cups roasted peanuts
1 1/2 cups unsalted soy nuts (roasted soybeans)
3 Tbs. honey
5 to 7 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a food processor with the knife blade; process 3 to 4 minutes. Add more oil for a smoother spread, less for a crunchier spread. Makes 2 cups.
Per serving (2 tablespoons): 243 calories, 9g protein, 19g fat (2g saturated), 12g carbohydrates, 1.5g fiber, 7mg sodium.
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Feed your 401(k)
This new year brings more ways to pump up your retirement savings, thanks to higher contribution limits.
The annual maximum for 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans rises $1,000, to $14,000. And those 50 and over can add a "catch-up" contribution up to $4,000. So make sure you're contributing the max to your retirement program -- or at least as much as the company will match (free money!).
Limits for traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are now $4,000, up from $3,000, and those 50 and older can make a "catch-up" contribution of $500. But remember, you must meet certain income requirements to qualify for the tax advantages of IRAs.
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