10 Simple ways to exercise

1. Walk, don’t drive. Walk to work. Walk to the store. Walk to school. If it’s too far to walk, then ride your bike. Just leave that car at home. Everywhere you go people are walking, from the mall to the hospital. Walking is an option, even for those individuals who aren't in the best health.

2. Learn to play. Find an activity you like to do, whether it’s golf, racquetball, softball or using a hula-hoop. If you enjoy doing something, it doesn’t feel like exercise. You’re having fun doing the thing you like to do best.

3. Fire the gardener. There’s a lot to be said for doing your own yard work. Having a lawn service is a luxury you shouldn’t afford. Get out there and do your own lawn and landscape. Gardening can burn up to 400 calories an hour. It’s an activity you can do during summer, spring or fall.

4. Take the kids to the park. Whether it’s your son or daughter, your niece or nephew, take them out and about. You’ll quickly realize why so many active children stay thin. Play tag. Push them on the swings. You’ll find you're not only burning calories, but building muscle as well. The best part is you’re also forging a bond with the children.

5. Wax on, wax off. Wash your own car. Car washing burns 300 to 400 calories an hour and can save you $15 or $20. During the summer, it’s a great excuse to get outdoors. All of that scrubbing and drying and you’ll be moving and losing those extra calories.

6. Take the high road. Always take the stairs. Leave the escalators and the elevators for someone else. Climbing stairs is not only a great calorie burner, it also helps tone leg and butt muscles. When you work on the fifth floor, adding a trip up and down the stairs will burn an extra 50 calories every day. Devote five minutes to stair climbing.

7. Skip the valet. Whether you’re at your favorite restaurant or at the mall, bypass the valet. Also, stop circling the parking lot five or six times. Instead park as far away as possible. Make it a habit. Think of all the extra calories you’ll burn when you walk to and fro your destination.

8. Throw your TV out the window. Being a couch potato is one of the lowest calorie-burning activities you can do. Limit the amount of TV you watch. When you do sit in front of the tube, get up during the commercials and move around. Or get on the treadmill and do some sort of activity while you’re watching.

9. Volunteer. Whether you’re serving food in a soup kitchen or repairing houses for Habitat for Humanity, the list of volunteer opportunities is endless. It’s the perfect way to stay active and lend a helping hand at the same time. You’re not only improving your physical well-being, but your spiritual and psychological well-being as well. Feeling good about yourself is a critical aspect of losing weight.

10. Last but not least, exercise. If all else fails, lose weight the old fashioned way... burn it! As research has shown time and time again, exercise is one, if not the most, crucial component of weight loss. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym, but 30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week is the closet thing there is to the fountain of youth and the best way to burn calories.

If you don’t have the time to exercise 30 minutes a day, why not give Stefano’s “Anytime, Anywhere” regimen a try? Perform one or two sets of each of the following exercises.