Your Body: Meeting Your Daily Exercise Goals

Wavebreak Media/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor

Do you hate to exercise? Well, you may be doing it already without even knowing it.

Researchers say 15 minutes of vacuuming, 20 minutes of gardening or 25 minutes of walking all meet the qualifications for what’s considered moderate intensity physical activity that the World Health Organization recommends to lower your risk of diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and heart disease.

While it counts towards your daily total — you need more than an hour a day to stay healthy — it’s entirely possible to combine the housework, gardening and stair climbing to meet your goals.

Here’s my prescription for upping your activities:

  • Use the steps tracker on your phone. I’m always shocked to see how little I’ve walked in a day.
  • Workouts can actually be fun. Check out group classes in your area.

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