Did you know that modern conveniences and entertainment such as drive thru atm’s, fast food, home shopping, video games, internet, and television have decreased the number of calories the average person burns per day by 800? In addition 6 out of 10 American adults don’t exercise and only 1 out of 10 are active enough to be physically fit. The sedentary lifestyle is something that has crept up on everyone and obviously one of the main reasons why so many people have difficulty losing weight and keeping it off.

The real problem is that most people just don’t have the time for the amount of exercise recommended in order to stay fit and most give up any type of exercise all together out of frustration. This is where the active life can really make a big difference without much time or effort. In a two year study conducted at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, 200 overweight sedentary people who accumulated 30 minutes a day of activities (taking the stairs at work, gardening, walking around the track during their kids soccer practice) showed similar improvements in fitness and body fat as people performing structured exercise for 20-60 minutes five days a week.

Every day activities can burn more calories than you think. Two hours of housework burns 429 calories, picking up after your kids for 10 minutes burns 30 calories, re-painting doorway trim and molding for 30 minutes burns 91 calories, washing & waxing your car burns 367 calories, dancing around your kitchen for 15 minutes burns 76 calories, jumping on a trampoline for 20 minutes burns 71 calories, re-arranging furniture for 20 minutes burns 122 calories. If you do enough of these activities on a daily basis you can burn as many calories as you would working out in the gym.

If you are looking for a bit of structure, The Spark by by Karla Dougherty, Glenn A. Gaesser discusses in detail the latest research on short bursts of exercise and outlines a workout program that consists of fifteen 10 minute bursts of exercise throughout the day. You could also go with a video like 10-Minute Solution - 10 Minute Workouts to Shape Your Whole Body. These are great options for busy people who just don't have time or those who have a problem sticking with an exercise program.

Another option to consider is combining both an active life with one or two regular exercise sessions per week. Alternate between cardio and strength training sessions that way you’re burning calories and building muscle which in turn burns more calories even at rest. The point is to stay as active as your schedule will allow in order to see the most benefits. A lot of exercise is great but if you don’t have time an active lifestyle can make as big of a difference in the long run.

Recommended Workout Video:10-Minute Solution - 10 Minute Workouts...