Even small amounts of exercise prove beneficial

You don't have to be huffing and puffing for hours at a time to get benefits from exercise. A recent study followed 430 women who exercised for various amounts of time each week. The women were all overweight and postmenopausal and some exercised as little as 10 minutes a day. They either joined organized fitness classes or wore pedometers to track their walking.

The women -- even those who exercised the least amount of time -- reported benefits such as being able to perform everyday tasks like climbing stairs more easily. Some of the women did lose weight during the 6 month study, but even those who didn't said that the exercise improved their quality of life.