 Hi, I'm Sarah Krebs, an exercise physiologist and in Michigan Health's Medical Weight Management Program Coordinator. As we enter the long days of winter, it's important to keep exercising your routine. It helps you to feel good about yourself, reduce stress, and can even improve signs of depression. Regular aerobic activity can help decrease your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Aerobic exercise is anything that uses large muscle groups and keeps your heart rate up for a long time. Examples of aerobic activity include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cross-country skiing. These are all things that can help you maintain a healthy weight long term and also help strengthen your heart. If you can sing while you exercise, you're probably working at too low of a level. If you can't talk at all, you're probably working at too high of a level. You want to aim for a spot right in the middle where you can have a comfortable conversation. No matter what activity you're doing, the way to get the best benefit is to aim to exercise in your target heart rate zone. For most people, their target heart rate zone is 60-85% of their maximum heart rate. In order to figure your maximum heart rate, you take 220 minus your age. Aim to start slowly so that you can stick with it. Set small goals that you know you can achieve. If you're not used to walking, start with a small 10-minute walk and then work up to something that you feel comfortable with. The most important tip I can give you is to find an activity that you really enjoy so that you can stick with it. Mid-Michigan Health. More life, more health.