Why daily exercise matters

Exercise is the key to a healthy lifestyle, and doing something every day will not only get you in the habit, it will also give you the greatest benefit

You may think you don't have time for exercise - and if you're thinking about fitting in gym sessions, adhering to swimming times or attending formal exercise classes you may be right.

But studies have shown that just a small amount of daily exercise can have a huge impact on the welfare of the whole family. For example, the Bristol University Children of the 90s research project monitored 5,500 12-year-olds and found that 15 minutes of extra moderate activity per day in children cut their risk of obesity by around half.

Dangers of obesity

Obesity is a life-shortening condition and can lead to chronic disease and other complications including:

• diabetes
• coronary heart disease
• high blood pressure
• raised cholesterol
• some cancers
• chronic back, hip and join pain.

When you consider the long-term risks, 15 minutes of moderate activity - such as a brisk walk to school - may not seem such an impossible achievement. So what else would constitute 'moderate exercise' that all the family can enjoy?

Basically, it's anything that makes you a little out of breath - but not to the extent that you can't carry on a conversation. A quarter of an hour on the Nintendo Wii Fit, for instance, will not only provide the right level of exercise, it'll also bring the family together to have fun.