Every TV talk show, news report, and magazine is full of how we should exercise every day or else suffer the consequences. Well, I don't really like to exercise. What do you suggest for people like me?

The World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society have all published guidelines for healthy living designed to reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many other adverse health conditions.

These include quitting smoking (or other tobacco use), eating five one-half cup servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity and exercise every day if possible (for sure, at least five days a week). It may help if we start with what is defined as physical activity and exercise.

Participation in leisure activities, lifting and carrying activities, and domestic- or school-related activities counts toward the daily requirement. The value of activity can be measured using a concept called metabolic equivalents (METs).

Metabolic equivalent values are a standard way to measure intensity of an activity. One MET is defined as the amount of energy used while sitting quietly. Activity intensity can be labeled as light, moderate, and vigorous.

Light intensity is usually defined as any activity performed between two and four METs. Moderate intensity is a MET value of four up to 6.5. Anything with a MET value greater than 6.5 is considered a vigorous activity. Sometimes METs are labeled differently depending on the person's age. For example, metabolic equivalent measures used for adults over 55 years of age are divided into light (less than three METs), moderate (three to five METs), and vigorous (more than five METs).

Using these guidelines, it is possible to look at all kinds of physical activities like gardening, bicycling, walking, and doing odd jobs. Specific sports such as golf, weight-lifting, speed skating, tennis, and football can also be included, but it doesn't sound like you are participating in this type of highly competitive exercise.

If you keep a daily log of physical activity and exercise for a couple of days up to a week, you might be very surprised by how much exercise and activity you are already getting. With a little intention, you could probably bump that up a bit. A 10-minute walk around the block, going up and down your stairs, or even vacuuming more often contribute to the exercise bank you need to stay healthy.