According to the report Too Fat to Fight, 27 percent of young Americans are physically unfit to enlist in the armed forces. How's that possible? Well, if 70 percent of American adults are overweight or obese ...

We think it's time to declare physical inactivity a disease: No-Go-itis. Only 25 percent to 45 percent of you report even 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobics or twice-weekly strength-building exercises. (And we suspect those estimates are a bit self-inflated!) But by calling inactivity a disease, maybe our pleas for get-up-and-go will be seen as medical treatments, not suggestions, and will be taken more seriously.

What are the symptoms of No-Go-itis? Everything from depression and arthritis, to diseases of every organ system and premature aging. Who's at risk? You — if the last time you walked 30 minutes was when Bill Clinton was president, or if you gained more than three pounds this year.

What's our recommended treatment? First, commit to making yourself younger! Then...

• Start walking. Your goal? Take 10,000 steps a day. Wear a pedometer from the time you get up to when you go to sleep.

• Watch TV while moving. Replace the couch with stationary bikes or treadmills. And stand, don't sit, whenever you can: Standing burns 30 percent more calories than sitting.

• Get active at work. Once an hour, do 30 seconds of exercises with 2-pound hand weights. Take a 10-minute break every two hours to walk up and down two flights of stairs and around the office.

Your rewards? A longer, happier life; better sex; and more confidence!


© 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.